Iran files lawsuit with ICJ against US sanctions

Iran has filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the United States over its decision to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Qassemi, said yesterday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif wrote on Twitter that the complaint aimed “to hold the United States responsible for the unilateral imposition of illegal sanctions”, adding that “Iran adheres to the rule of law in the face of the United States’ contempt for diplomacy and legal obligations”.

The US President Donald Trump withdrew in May from the 2015 nuclear agreement signed between the world powers and Iran adding that the US will reimpose economic sanctions lifted under the agreement.

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Tehran says the United States’ decision violates international obligations, including the 1955 Iran-United States Treaty of Friendship signed in 1955.

Washington plans to reimpose sanctions on Iran’s nuclear programme in two phases in August and November which aims to prevent European and foreign companies from dealing with Iran and halting its oil exports.

The ICJ is due to consider a complaint in October which was filed by Iran two years ago against the United States for freezing about $2 billion of Iranian assets abroad.