On Wednesday, a federal appeals courtroom in New York City filled with family members of 9/11 victims as three judges heard arguments over whether claims against Saudi Arabia can proceed.
The judges indicated that many legal issues remain unresolved, even though the lawsuit has dragged on for almost a quarter‑century. They did not set a timetable for ruling on whether the claims, which allege that Saudi Arabia aided at least two of the 19 hijackers, can move forward to trial.
Terry Strada, whose husband Tom Strada was killed in the attacks, said she was encouraged by the judges’ questions. She praised the judges for asking “really meaningful questions,” for hammering the Saudi attorneys, and for refusing to accept the Saudi arguments.
The lawsuit accuses Saudi government employees of directly and knowingly assisting the hijackers and of funding charities that supported al‑Qaida. Some defendants, including Iran, the Taliban and al‑Qaida, have already been found in default. Saudi Arabia seeks dismissal on sovereign‑immunity grounds, arguing that the United States and the Kingdom were partners in the 1990s in fighting terrorism. The appeal follows an August 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels that allowed the case to proceed in federal court, though he did not decide the merits of the claims. Fifteen of the nineteen attackers were Saudi nationals, a fact that the Saudi government has long denied.
