Iran welcomes International Court of Justice ruling on funds seized by USA

Havana, March 31 (RHC) The Iranian Foreign Ministry welcomed this Friday a ruling issued the day before by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which considered the seizure by the United States of Iranian assets incorrect and ordered this country to pay compensation to Tehran.

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry praised the decision, noting that the Court had found Iran's positions legitimate and flagged US misbehavior. According to the ICJ ruling, Washington violated international law by allowing its courts to seize nearly 2 billion dollars in assets from Iranian companies.

The funds belong to individuals and companies, and include 1.75 billion from the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). The Court considered that the seizure of that money is "manifestly unreasonable", although it said that it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the freezing of CBI assets.

The amount of compensation, which Washington must pay to Tehran for the effects caused by its seizure of assets, must be determined later. In this regard, the ICJ gave the parties 24 months to reach an agreement on the amount.

According to press reports, in 2002 then US President George W. Bush signed a federal law that allowed victims of terrorist attacks to claim millions in compensation. Washington opened the doors to these claims based on the criteria that the attacks were sponsored by third countries, according to its investigative agencies.

In 2016, the US Supreme Court ruled that Iran sponsored a 1983 attack in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, that killed 299 people, including 241 marines. Although Iran at all times denied links to this attack and denounced Washington, the Supreme Court declared the freezing of 2,000 million dollars deposited in US banks legal. (Source: Telesur)