Iran on Monday initiates proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the sanctions that U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed, accusing Iran of covert nuclear ambitions.
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Iran addressed the main judicial body of the United Nations based in The Hague in July after Donald Trump decided to strengthen sanctions.
In May, Trump announced that he was withdrawing the United States from the international nuclear agreement JCPOA, which was signed in 2015 with Iran by six powers (along with the U.S., France, China, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom), which limits Iran’s uranium enrichment program so that it cannot be used to develop nuclear weapons, and in return, international sanctions on Iran were eased, most of which were lifted in January 2016.
The first round of sanctions was imposed by Washington in early August targeting banks and finance, and a new round on November 5 will be aimed at the oil and gas sector, which is the main source of income for the Islamic Republic.
Official Tehran calls on the ICJ judges to order the U.S. to “immediately” lift these measures, arguing that by renewing sanctions, Washington is violating the provisions of the U.S.-Iran Friendship, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights Agreement from 1955.
Within two months, the ICJ is expected to decide on the sanctions after a series of hearings that begin on Monday, but a final decision could take years.
>>>European Companies Withdraw from Projects in Iran After Announced Sanctions
Tehran emphasizes that the renewal of U.S. sanctions has already negatively impacted the economy, and the Iranian currency rial has lost nearly a third of its value since April.
Trump supplemented his decision on sanctions with an ultimatum to other countries, which must decide whether to continue doing business with Iran or the U.S.
Numerous groups, including German Siemens and Daimler as well as French Total, Peugeot, and Renault, have announced their withdrawal from Iran to protect their own interests due to U.S. sanctions.
“The U.S. is imposing an economic blockade on Iran with all the dramatic consequences that such a policy brings to the besieged Iranian population,” Iran writes in its request to the ICJ.
The unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement under which Iran commits never to develop nuclear weapons is not approved by other world powers. “Iran’s position has been strengthened thanks to the support of numerous European countries, and one of the goals (of the lawsuit) is to publicly condemn the actions of the United States,” said Eric De Brabandere, a professor at Leiden University for “public resolution of international disputes,” noting that this gives Iranian lawsuits “certain publicity.”
Donald Trump notes that he wants to “increase pressure” on the Iranian regime to force it to “change its behavior,” which relates to the Iranian ballistic program and “harmful Iranian activities.” Trump reiterates that he is “open” to negotiating a new nuclear agreement with Iran, which Tehran rejects, as last week the supreme Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced that there will be “neither war nor negotiations” with the U.S.
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European countries are committed to preserving the agreement, but in a desire to persuade the U.S. to remain in it, they were willing to discuss expanding the agreement with new obligations. These include four proposals: extending oversight of Iranian nuclear activities beyond 2025, including oversight of the Iranian ballistic missile program in the agreement, and limiting Iranian military involvement in the region, in the wars in Syria and Yemen.
The ICJ is to consider Iran’s second lawsuit against the U.S. from 2016 by October 8, which was filed because the U.S. froze nearly two billion dollars of Iranian assets.
