TEHRAN -- Iran’s judiciary said Monday that a number of American and Israeli-regime vessels have been seized in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf under judicial orders, with proceeds from their sale to be used to compensate families and individuals harmed in the recent war.
Hassan Abdolianpour, head of the Judiciary’s Lawyers Center, announced the seizures during the 18th supervisory tour of the judiciary and a visit to the fishing pier in Bandar Abbas.
He said experts across several provinces, particularly Hormozgan, have been deployed in 20 specialized fields to assess and document damages from the recent attacks, with the process still ongoing.
To date, damages to 537 vessels have been assessed in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, Bandar Lengeh and Jask, he said.
Abdolianpour said owners and affected persons will grant power of attorney so that legal and criminal claims over the damages can be pursued. 
Criminal cases are first filed in cities and provincial capitals and then referred to the International Prosecution Office in Tehran and the Tehran Revolutionary Court, where more than 100 cases are currently being heard before a special branch.
Civil claims for material and moral damages are being pursued in Branch 55 of the Tehran International Legal Court, with hearings to be held in the coming weeks and months. He said efforts are being made to hold these sessions with the presence of families of martyrs and affected persons.
“Some American and Israeli-regime ships have been seized in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf based on judicial rulings, and compensation for families and individuals harmed in the recent war is to be paid from the proceeds of selling these ships,” Abdolianpour said.
He said no fees are being charged to victims, and legal follow-up is being conducted free of charge. The measures have already produced results, with part of the issued rulings entering the execution phase — including in the case of the “Butterfly” patients, where costs have been paid and each family allocated 2 billion tomans.