International Court Of Justice Orders U.S. To Ensure Iran Sanctions Do Not Interfere With Humanitarian Aid; U.S. Subsequently Withdraws From 1955 Treaty

New York Times: U.S. Withdraws From 1955 Treaty Normalizing Relations With Iran
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday that the United States was pulling out of a six-decade-old treaty with Iran that had provided a basis for normalizing relations between the two countries, including diplomatic and economic exchanges. The largely symbolic move came hours after the International Court of Justice ordered the United States to ensure that a new round of American sanctions imposed against Tehran this year did not prevent food, medicine, and aircraft parts from reaching Iran…” (Wong et al., 10/3).

Reuters: World Court orders U.S. to ensure Iran sanctions don’t hit humanitarian aid
“…Judges at the International Court Of Justice (ICJ) handed a small victory to Tehran, which had argued that sanctions imposed since May by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump violate terms of a 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries. But U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected the decision. He said the United Nations court, often called the ‘World Court,’ had no jurisdiction over the sanctions, which Pompeo said were essential to U.S. security interests, and that Washington would ‘terminate’ the little-known treaty with Iran…” (van den Berg, 10/3).

Washington Post: United Nations’ court rules U.S. must allow humanitarian trade with Iran
“…Wednesday’s verdict is binding, but the court, located in The Hague, lacks the power to enforce its decisions … The 15-member panel of judges ruled that the United States ‘must remove’ any impediments to the free exportation to Iran of goods required for humanitarian needs, as well as spare parts for civil aviation safety. The court said the assurances given by the United States that its sanctions would have limited humanitarian impact were ‘not adequate to address fully the humanitarian and safety concerns raised by’ Iran…” (Cunningham/Morello, 10/3).

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