Six billion dollars in Iranian funds sit frozen in two Qatari banks. They have sat there since September 2023. Iran cannot touch them; nobody can. The money does nothing.
Meanwhile, Iranian missiles punch holes in Dubai skyscrapers. Iranian drones set fire to a Saudi Arabian refinery. An 11-year-old girl in Kuwait dies from shrapnel. Qatar’s own liquified natural gas facilities absorb strikes from the regime whose money Qatar holds.
The United States should seize the $6 billion and pay it to American victims of Iranian terrorism. Start with the family of Robert Levinson.
American courts have issued over ninety judgments finding Iran liable for terrorism against U.S. citizens.
In 2023, the Biden administration brokered a hostage swap with Tehran. Five Americans came home. In exchange, Washington authorized the transfer of frozen Iranian oil revenue from South Korean banks into restricted accounts at Qatar’s Al-Ahli and Dukhan banks. The terms were strict: Iran could not access the funds directly; every transaction required U.S. approval, and the money could purchase only humanitarian goods.
Then came October 7, 2023. Hamas, an Iranian proxy, massacred 1,200 people in southern Israel. The U.S. and Qatar froze the accounts entirely. The money has not moved since.
Frozen is not seized, and it should be seized.
American courts have issued over ninety judgments finding Iran liable for terrorism against U.S. citizens. The outstanding awards exceed $53 billion. Iran has not paid a cent. The U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism (USVSST) Fund has distributed over $7 billion across five payment rounds. More than $102 billion remains outstanding.
Robert Levinson is the clearest case. Iranian officials kidnapped the retired FBI agent on Kish Island in 2007. Iran denied holding him. The U.S. government concluded in 2020 that he died in Iranian custody. His family never received a body. In October 2020, a federal judge ordered Iran to pay the Levinson family $1.45 billion. The judge called Iran’s conduct “barbarous.” The family has received a fraction through the USVSST Fund.
On March 2, 2026, days after U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Khamenei, the Levinson family demanded full accountability, and the return of their father’s remains. They deserve both. They also deserve to be paid.
Iran’s retaliation since February 28 destroyed every argument for holding these funds in reserve. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched hundreds of missiles and attack drones toward Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Iraq. It targeted Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, Al Dhafra in the Emirates, and the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. It hit Kuwait International Airport. It damaged the Burj Al Arab. It struck Qatar’s Mesaieed and Ras Laffan facilities.
The Levinson family [has] demanded full accountability, and the return of their father’s remains.
The Gulf states issued a joint statement with Washington condemning the strikes as violations of sovereignty. Qatar’s foreign ministry said the attacks “cannot be accepted under any justification.” These are the countries that were supposed to safeguard Iran’s humanitarian fund. Iran repaid them with missiles.
The United States should act in three steps:
First, satisfy the Levinson judgment. Congress should pass legislation authorizing the transfer of Qatari-held Iranian funds to cover the $1.45 billion award. The precedent exists. In Bank Markazi v. Peterson (2016), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld seizure of Iranian central bank assets for American terror victims.
Second, allocate remaining funds through a joint U.S.-Gulf mechanism. One portion compensates Gulf states for strike damage. Another feeds into the USVSST Fund to reduce the $102 billion backlog owed to American families.
Third, set the global precedent. Iran holds an estimated $100 billion to $120 billion in frozen assets worldwide. The Qatar seizure opens the door. Libya paid $2.7 billion to settle American terrorism claims after Pan Am 103. Tehran will not pay voluntarily. The assets must be taken.
The timing is right. Iran destroyed any political cover for returning the funds. The Gulf states want Iran to pay for the damage, not get its money back. The legal tools exist. The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) terrorism exception, the USVSST Fund, and the Bank Markazi precedent provide the framework. Congress has the authority. What has been missing is will.
For nineteen years, the Levinson family has fought for accountability. For decades, American families from Beirut to Khobar Towers to October 7 have held judgments Iran refuses to honor. Six billion dollars sit in a Qatari bank. Iran attacked Qatar. Congress should authorize seizure. The White House should direct Treasury to execute. The Levinson family should be paid first.
This is not complicated. It is overdue.
