Laya Joneidi, the presidential aide for legal affairs, in a note for the Tehran-based Iran newspaper on Saturday, said "it was predictable the International Court of Justice, also known as the court of the United Nations, to announce that the ICJ has the jurisdiction to handle a dispute between Iran and the United States.
Iran filed a case with the court in 2018 following the Trump administration's withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, arguing that Washington's sanctions against Tehran violate the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights between the two states, because the unilateral sanctions cause hardships and ruin lives of the Iranian people.
The Wednesday ruling of the ICJ is important, showing Iran's civilized and peaceful manner at the international arena, and it has also valuable details in it.
The ICJ ruled out all US claims against the jurisdiction of the tribunal, accepting the case with only one opponent vote, which came from a judge from the US. The American judge dismissed some of defects proposed by the United States.
First, the US has problem with the jurisdiction of the ICJ and in other word, the formation of a tribunal on the bilateral treaty. The US thinks the issue of the complaint concerns the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is in the eyes of the American authorities a non-binding and multilateral political accord, while the Iranian side sees the complaint in respect of the aforementioned treaty.
Second, the US questions the jurisdiction of the JCJ to push forward such a tribunal, noting that Iran put forward issues such as Iranians' trade ties with third parties, which are not mentioned in the 1955 treaty; so, the Americans think the court is not entitled to hold trial in this regard.
The ICJ says if it accepts the second objection, other objections are not acceptable; thus, the hearing will continue. The court is not going to stop reviewing US secondary sanctions on Iran.
The issue is very important for Iran. The success can be compared with the triumph by late Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, when Britain filed a lawsuit against nationalization of oil industry in Iran in 1951."
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