US Welcomes ICJ Decision On Iran Assets Case, But Regrets That It Covers Only Part Of Them

Umer Jamshaid Published March 31, 2023 | 07:23 PM

The United States welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice over the freezing of certain Iranian assets, but expressed regret that the final judgment covered only a part of them, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2023) The United States welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice over the freezing of certain Iranian assets, but expressed regret that the final judgment covered only a part of them, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Thursday.

"Today the International Court of Justice issued a judgment in the Certain Iranian Assets case rejecting the vast majority of Iran's case under the now-terminated Treaty of Amity.� This is a major victory for the United States and victims of Iran's state-sponsored terrorism," Patel said in a statement.

The ICJ ruled that the freezing of a part of Iran's assets by the United States is illegal and ordered the US to pay compensation, Vice President of the court Kirill Gevorgian said earlier on Thursday.

The United States commended the ICJ ruling related to Iranian Bank Markazi, but expressed frustration over the conclusion that the turnover of assets of other Iranian agencies and instrumentalities to US victims of Iran's activities was inconsistent with the Treaty of Amity, Patel said.

"U.S. courts directed the turnover of assets to victims pursuant to U.S. laws that have helped those and other victims of state-sponsored terrorism receive compensation for the grave losses that they and their families have suffered," he added.

Patel emphasized that the ICJ decision will have no impact on the US laws that allow American victims of terrorism to seek compensation from Iran. Washington will continue to support those people and seek to hold Iran and other state sponsors of terrorism accountable, he added.

Gevorgian said earlier in the day that the US violated its obligations under the Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights of 1955 with Iran, and thus has to pay compensation to Tehran for the consequences and violations of international obligations.