Bat Yam Mayor Chases Iranian Diplomat in Manhattan to Serve Missile Lawsuit
City officials spent two months planning a legal pursuit in New York to demand 250 million shekels in damages from Tehran following the June 2025 attacks.
By Alina Marshall ·
The mayor of Bat Yam ran through Manhattan streets on Monday to hand an Iranian diplomat a lawsuit seeking 250 million shekels in damages. The legal action targets destruction caused by Iranian missile strikes on the Israeli city. Mayor Tzvika Brot described the physical chase as a way to formally advance the court proceedings against Tehran.
City officials called the effort Operation Open Account. They spent two months preparing for the move. The plan involved sending a team to New York to locate a specific Iranian representative. Because Israeli citizens cannot enter the Iranian diplomatic compound, the group prepared identification sketches of senior officials at the United Nations. They also selected a meeting point in advance to avoid relying on luck.
Surveillance personnel spotted an Iranian representative leaving the compound and heading toward UN headquarters. They alerted Brot and his associates to move in. The diplomat reportedly ignored the mayor and tried to walk away. The group chased him until Brot finished reading the full contents of the lawsuit to the official.
Brot told Walla: “They sent us missiles, and we sent them a bill.” The municipality emphasized that the mission was planned and not a chance encounter. The lawsuit was filed with the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday, one day before the team acted in New York.
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said the case is part of a wider financial campaign against Iran. She stated: “The campaign against Iran does not end on the battlefield. It also extends to the courts, bank accounts, assets, and every financial resource of the Iranian regime. We will continue fighting on behalf of terror victims until we bring the ayatollahs' regime to its knees financially.”
The legal demand follows an Iranian missile barrage in June 2025. That attack killed nine residents and wounded 178 others in Bat Yam. Around 160 buildings suffered damage. Twenty-two buildings required immediate demolition. Thousands of residents lost their homes. Brot decided to demand payment from Iran on the night of the attack.
The municipality said Iran has 60 days to respond to the suit. If no defense is submitted, the city can request a default judgment. It is not yet clear how Bat Yam would collect the funds from an enemy state.
