On Friday, December 22, 2006, a federal U.S. district judge ruled that the Iranian regime’s leadership was behind the attack. The trial against the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been going on for approximately four years.
The indictment issued following the attack on the Khobar Towers reveals several facts and details that shed light on the manner in which the attack was planned and carried out, the degree of Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian regime’s IRGC involvement in the attack and Syria’s indirect cooperation.
Analysis of information in the indictment presented in an American court in June of 2001 against some of the attackers that were captured indicated the following points:
– The planning and execution of the attack took an especially long time. Members of the Saudi Hezbollah, some of whom participated in the attack, were already recruited in 1988. Some were trained in Hezbollah camps in Lebanon and in Iran.
– Intelligence collection began in 1993 by a member of the Saudi Hezbollah. The information was transferred to Iran.
– More focused intelligence gathering on American targets, including the Khobar Towers, began in 1994 under the direction, guidance and supervision of Iranian security services. The Khobar Towers were selected as the target in 1994.
– In 1995, alongside further intelligence gathering on target, one of the organization’s activists was trained by Lebanese Hezbollah activists. The Iranians funded the cell’s activity. During this year, the activity on the Saudi-Syria-Beirut axis expanded and included: movement of activists and an examination of the operational plan to transport weapons from Lebanon to Saudi-Arabia. At the same time, ties between field operatives and the Saudi Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut were strengthened.
– In 1996, explosives were smuggled from Lebanon to Saudi-Arabia through Syria and Jordan. On 28/3/96, the Saudis arrested several members of the cell following the capture of some of the smuggled explosives into Saudi-Arabia.
– In June of 1996, the cell purchased a truck in Saudi-Arabia, which was loaded with explosives, armed and prepared for the attack by a Lebanese Hezbollah explosives expert in Saudi-Arabia.
– Between the 7th and 17th of June, the last executive meeting took place in the Sayida Zinab Mosque in Damascus and was attended by senior Saudi Hezbollah members. Decisions regarding the attack were made during the meeting.
– On June 25th, the attack on the Khobar Towers took place, following which the cell members went into hiding