On February 3, 2021, the ICJ rejected the preliminary objection raised by the United States.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani described the ruling as a "beautiful and brilliant victory" for the Iranian nation at the face of a superpower.
Responding to the ICJ ruling, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price expressed dissatisfaction, urging the court to stop hearing Iran's case against the United States.
“We have great respect for the International Court of Justice. At the same time, we are disappointed that the court did not accept our well-founded legal arguments, that the case Iran brought is outside the court's jurisdiction, and the court should not hear it,” Price said.
Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanhi wrote on his Twitter account, “New US admin purports to support multilateralism, yet is "disappointed" by @CIJ_ICJ rejection of its objection to case on US sanctions (on basis it is outside Court's jurisdiction).”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also wrote on his Twitter account on Wednesday, "The @CIJ_ICJ just dismissed all US preliminary objections in the case brought by Iran over unlawful US sanctions," adding, "Another legal victory for Iran following 3 Oct. '18 Order. Iran has always fully respected int'l law. High time for the US to live up to 𝙞𝙩𝙨 int'l obligations."
New US President Joe Biden criticized his predecessor Donald Trump, trying to portray himself as pro-multilateralism politician, who wants to return to diplomacy, but the Biden administration expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling of the ICJ.
The world court, chaired by Abdul Qawi Youssef, held a virtual hearing on preliminary objections of the US because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
At its Judgment on February 3, the International Court of Justice rejected the US objection concerning violations of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America).
Iran filed a lawsuit in the court against the US re-imposition of unilateral sanctions as the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and imposed illegal sanctions on the Islamic Republic in 2018.
Hamidreza Oloomi Yazdi, director of the Presidential Center for International Legal Affairs and representative of the Iranian government to the ICJ, emphasized that the US allegations are baseless and its sanctions are not against third countries, who have trade ties with Iran, but the illegal sanctions targeted Iranian nation's daily life.
Despite the fact that the ICJ issued a temporary order urging the US to lift sanctions and obstacles in the way of exporting food, medicine and medical equipment as well as safety components of passenger airplanes, Washington procrastinates implementing the court order, Yazdi said.
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