TEHRAN – An Iranian court has initiated legal proceedings against the United States for its role in the massacre of 42 Iranian divers during the Iran-Iraq War. 

The families of the victims filed the lawsuit, pointing out that the U.S. provided crucial support to the Iraqi Baath regime, ultimately leading to their loved ones' deaths.

The first hearing took place on Monday, with the 55th Branch of the Tehran Court of Justice presiding over the case. The lawsuit centers around Operation Karbala 4, a 1986 Iranian military operation aimed at repelling Iraqi forces. The operation required Iranian fighters to cross the border river of Arvand.

Families of the 42 slain divers got to bury their loved ones almost three decades after their killing in 2015 when their remains were found during the digging of the Iraqi side of the Arvand River. The divers had been buried alive with their hands tied after being captured by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s forces. 

According to Ezzoddin Soleimani, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, the operation was compromised due to U.S. military and logistical support to Iraq. This leak, he argued, allowed Iraqi forces to anticipate the Iranian offensive. “The Iranian divers taking part in Operation Karbala-4 were taken captive by Baath troops who tortured and mistreated them before burying them alive in holes made beforehand, while the divers were thirsty and handcuffed,” he explained. 

The lawyer highlighted the extensive financial, military, and political assistance provided by the U.S. to the Baath regime, concluding that Washington’s actions constituted a violation of international humanitarian law.

The plaintiffs demand that the court hold the U.S. accountable for the deaths of the divers and order them to compensate for the material and moral damages suffered by their families. The court's verdict remains pending.