Four-Day Process of Iran's Complaint Against the U.S. Begins in The Hague

The process of Iran's complaint against the United States due to the reinstatement of sanctions against Tehran began on Monday morning, September 5, at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. According to IRNA news agency, the Islamic Republic considers the return of U.S. sanctions as a "violation of the Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations and Consular Rights between Iran and the United States in 1955." In the first court session held on Monday morning, Mohsen Mohibi, head of the International Legal Affairs Center of the Iranian Presidency, elaborated on the Islamic Republic's arguments for filing this complaint and accused the current U.S. government of intending to "bring Iran to its knees with the most severe sanctions." A U.S. official had previously told Reuters that Iran's complaint is "baseless" and that the U.S. team in The Hague would "defend the United States with full strength." Official Washington officials have not yet commented on this case, but according to speculations raised by news agencies including Reuters, the U.S. legal team will argue that the International Court is "lacking jurisdiction" to handle this case. There is also speculation that American lawyers may argue that the "Treaty of Amity" is no longer in effect or that its provisions have not been violated. The hearing for the U.S. team will take place on Tuesday. After the U.S. government's withdrawal from the JCPOA on May 8, the first round of sanctions against Iran was implemented from July 13, and the next round is set to begin on November 13. According to AFP, it is expected to take several months for the International Court to decide whether to accept Tehran's request for a provisional ruling, while the announcement of the final decision may take years. The International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, is considered the principal court of the United Nations. Its rulings are binding; however, this institution lacks enforcement power, and various countries have sometimes ignored its rulings. The Trump administration has accused the Islamic Republic of continuing "destructive activities," "supporting terrorism," or developing its ballistic missile program, both before and after the "nuclear agreement," and has called for new negotiations that encompass all of Iran's behaviors and actions. Tehran has rejected the accusations of "supporting terrorism" and interference in regional countries' affairs, stating that its missile program is deterrent and defensive. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, has stated he is willing to negotiate with Iran without preconditions, although he has also indicated that the final decision in this matter rests with Tehran officials, and if they are unwilling to negotiate, he "doesn't care." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has banned negotiations with the U.S. Since the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA and following the reinstatement of sanctions, Iran's economy has faced severe tensions, the national currency has significantly lost its value, the prices of gold and other goods have risen, many large Western companies have left Iran, and a wave of protests has emerged in various cities. U.S. officials say this is the result of the reinstatement of sanctions. The leader of the Islamic Republic claims the main problem is internal and related to "performance issues." The Iranian Foreign Minister states that "internal disputes have completed the psychological atmosphere."