Iran Protests Against the 'Non-Implementation' of the International Court of Justice's Order by the U.S.

The representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) protested in a letter to the U.S. representative regarding what he called the 'violation' by the U.S. in implementing the court's provisional order, asking for a report on the U.S. actions regarding the implementation of this order. According to the Iranian government website, Mohsen Mohibi stated in a letter to Jennifer Newstead that the United States has added 67 Iran Air planes to its sanctions list and that essential goods have not been 'effectively' exempt from sanctions. He called the U.S. 'violation' of the court's ruling 'unacceptable' and urged the country to 'immediately inform Iran of the actions taken in compliance with the court's provisional order.' In the letter sent on December 10, he announced that the U.S. 'not only did not comply with the court's order but has also added 67 Iran Air planes to its sanctions list, creating new problems.' The International Court of Justice in The Hague issued a provisional ruling on October 3, stating that the United States must ensure that its unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic do not negatively affect essential goods or the safety of passenger flights. American officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, have emphasized that humanitarian items, including medicine and food, are not included in Washington's sanctions. However, the Iranian representative at the ICJ described the statements of American officials regarding the exemption of humanitarian-related goods from sanctions as 'political rhetoric' and added that 'in practice, this is not the case.' According to the Iranian government website, the Iranian Foreign Ministry had previously announced the U.S. 'violation' of the court's order through a diplomatic note via the Swiss embassy in Tehran (which represents U.S. interests). The U.S. has protested the ICJ's ruling, asserting that the Hague court lacks the necessary jurisdiction to address this case. Experts say that reaching a final decision on this matter may take several years. The preliminary ruling from The Hague is binding for countries, but the court lacks tools to enforce its decisions. If countries do not comply with the court's ruling, the claiming country can refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council, where the U.S. has veto power and can block any resolutions against itself. Iran had filed a complaint against the U.S. based on the 'Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations and Consular Rights.' Following the ICJ's ruling, the U.S. Secretary of State announced that the country would withdraw from the Treaty of Amity with Iran. Article 23, Section 3 of this treaty states that either party can terminate it with 'one year's written notice.'