The Hague Court's Ruling on the U.S. Objection to Iran's Lawsuit Will Be Announced

According to what the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, has announced, the ruling of this international judicial body regarding the United States' objections to Iran's lawsuit against this country will be announced on Wednesday, February 13. Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, the president of the court, is set to read the ruling on Wednesday. Reports suggest that the court's ruling regarding the U.S. complaint may increase tensions between this judicial body and Washington, tensions that began following the court's ruling in favor of Iran. Tehran brought a case against Washington to the Hague court last June. The Islamic Republic claims that the United States has violated the "Treaty of Amity" between the two countries from 1955 - prior to the 1979 revolution - by reinstating its sanctions against Iran. This complaint was met with a reaction from U.S. officials. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, described Tehran's action as an "abuse" of the Hague court and stated that "Iran's lawsuit in the court is an attempt to undermine the U.S. sovereignty to take lawful actions, including the re-imposition of sanctions, which are necessary for national security." Donald Trump exited the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA, last spring and reinstated sanctions on Iran in two rounds. Trump claims the JCPOA is one of the worst agreements he has seen, that it does not prevent Iran's nuclear program in the long term, that Iran continues to develop ballistic missiles, and that Iran has intensified its "destructive" activities in the region. The Islamic Republic, while rejecting accusations regarding the construction of nuclear weapons and interference in other countries, claims its missile program is defensive and does not negotiate about it with anyone. In any case, the process of reviewing Iran's lawsuit in The Hague began, and ultimately, on October 3, the court issued a provisional ruling 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. International news agencies described the court's ruling as a "victory" for Tehran in the case. A few days later, it was reported that the United States had asked the International Court of Justice to dismiss Iran's lawsuit regarding blocked assets related to the bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut in 1983 and the explosion in 1996 at the U.S. military base in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Supreme Court has awarded about two billion dollars of Iran's blocked assets as compensation to the victims and survivors of those incidents, accusing Iran of involvement in the bombings. Iran has denied these accusations, stating that the Supreme Court's ruling contradicts the "Treaty of Amity" and is seeking to recover this money. Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department lawyer told the Hague court that "Iran supports international terrorism" while simultaneously complaining about the U.S. legal framework holding the Islamic Republic accountable for terrorism. Richard Visek stated that this is an issue the Hague court should not ignore. The United States has announced its withdrawal from the 1955 treaty with Tehran. The International Court of Justice in The Hague is the judicial pillar of the United Nations, and its rulings are also enforceable. However, ultimately, countries may refuse to implement rulings, in which case the other country can complain to the Security Council. The United States is a permanent member of the Security Council and has veto power.