Zarif's Letter to Ban Ki-moon Protesting US Supreme Court Ruling

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, has protested the US Supreme Court ruling regarding compensation for the families of victims of 'terrorist' incidents from Iran's frozen assets in a letter addressed to Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. According to IRNA, Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, submitted Zarif's complaint letter to the Secretary-General on Thursday. In the letter, Zarif refers to the principle of 'state immunity' and states: 'In light of the adverse effects resulting from the continued illegal actions of the United States, I expect you to use your good offices to urge the US government to adhere to its international obligations, stop violating the fundamental principle of state immunity, release Iran's frozen assets in US banks, and immediately and permanently cease its interference in Iran's financial and commercial interactions abroad within the framework of its international commitments and the JCPOA.' The US Supreme Court ruled on April 20 that $2 billion of Iran's frozen assets should be paid to the families of American victims of the 1983 bombing at the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut and other 'related' attacks involving the Islamic Republic. Other cases related to the 1996 bombing in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, which left 19 dead, and other attacks carried out by 'Iran-linked' militia groups have also been raised. Last year, lawyers for Iran's Central Bank requested a review of the Supreme Court's rulings issued by US courts against its properties and assets. The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized that the principle of state immunity is one of the main pillars of international legal order and international peremptory law, stating: 'All claims against a sovereign state must be addressed according to the mechanisms provided in bilateral or multilateral agreements or appropriately resolved through competent international courts.' He added: 'It is of great concern that the US Congress, along with other branches of this country, apparently believes it can easily challenge and violate the fundamental principle of state immunity by unilaterally suspending state immunity and even the immunity of central banks, in complete contradiction to the international commitments of the United States and under the pretext of a baseless legal doctrine not recognized by the international community.' Meanwhile, Zarif asserted that it is the US that must pay compensation for its 'hostile policies' towards Iran. The Iranian Foreign Minister added: 'The issuance of these rulings is clearly tantamount to an international wrongful act and entails the international responsibility of the US government, and therefore this government will be held accountable for this action. The Islamic Republic of Iran holds the US government responsible for this shameful theft carried out under the guise of a judicial ruling and is determined to use all legal means to recover the stolen assets and the accrued interest from the date of their blockage by the US.' Iran had previously summoned the Swiss ambassador, as the protector of US interests in Tehran, to formally protest the judicial rulings against Iran in the United States.