US Response to International Court of Justice Ruling on Iran’s Complaint: This is a Preliminary Ruling

The spokesperson for the US State Department responded on Wednesday, February 5, to the ruling of the International Court of Justice, the judicial body of the United Nations, stating that Iran wants to claim that this ruling was about the substance of the complaint, when in fact it is a preliminary ruling on the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.

The International Court of Justice announced hours earlier that it would hear Iran’s complaint against the United States over the violation of the “Treaty of Amity” and the reimposition of sanctions on Iran.

Ned Price, spokesperson for the US State Department, responded to a journalist’s question on the matter, saying: “First, I want to say that we have great respect for the International Court of Justice. At the same time, we are disappointed that this court did not accept our legal arguments regarding the court’s lack of jurisdiction to hear Iran’s complaint.”

He added: “Although we disagree with the court’s reasoning, this was a preliminary ruling on the court’s jurisdiction and not a decision on the substance of Iran’s complaint. Although Iran wants to portray it that way, the International Court of Justice itself has emphasized that this was a preliminary ruling on the substantive part of Iran’s complaint, not a ruling on the merits.”

The US State Department spokesperson emphasized: “In the next phase of reviewing the substance of the complaint, we will explain why Iran’s claims are baseless.”

In June 2018, Iran filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice against US sanctions, but the Donald Trump administration stated that the international court had no jurisdiction to hear this case and rule on the violation of the “Treaty of Amity.”

Minutes after the majority of 16 judges of the International Court of Justice agreed to review Iran’s complaint against the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called this a “major legal victory” for Tehran and said the time has come for the United States to fulfill its international obligations.

The Islamic Republic of Iran says that the Trump administration violated the 1955 “Treaty of Amity” between the two countries by reimposing sanctions on Iran, and this is while this treaty was signed years before the triumph of Iran’s revolution in 1979.

The treaty in question, with the full name “Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights,” was signed on August 15, 1955 in Tehran between the United States and the Imperial Government of Iran.

Given the provisions of this treaty, which designates the International Court of Justice as the body for resolving potential disputes, Tehran brought a case against Washington to this court in June 2018, accusing it of violating the treaty.

Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, one of the judges of the Hague court, announced on Wednesday that based on a vote among the judges, the United States’ argument that the case is outside this court’s jurisdiction was rejected, and thus the case has been admitted and the court is ready to hear the parties’ arguments.

However, Reuters reported that the final ruling of the court could take several years.

Source: Radio Farda