The United States is unlikely to respect the judgment of the UN's top court but Iran should follow up its recent lawsuit against Washington to prove to the world that its stance is based in logic and reason, says a lawmaker.
"The Americans are not committed to any rule or logic. We do not have high expectations that they would respect the [court's decisions]. But this legal process should be pursued so that the international community will realize that Iran is right," Mohammad Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told ISNA in remarks published on Monday.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, issued a statement on July 17, in which it said Iran has filed a lawsuit against the US contending that Washington's decision in May to impose sanctions after pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal violates a 1955 treaty between the two countries.
The court, set up in 1946 in The Hague to rule in disputes between nations, recently revealed that its president, judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, had taken the unusual step to write a letter about the case directly to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The tribunal will hold public hearings from August 27 to 30 in the case.
Rezaei called the developments "positive", adding that it would be a great diplomatic achievement if the court votes in Iran's favor.
Lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi also believes that it would be a "political victory" if the court rules that the US decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran is illegal.
It was a "reasonable" move by Iranian authorities to file a complaint against Washington, he told ICANA.
"I believe we can emerge victorious if we act decisively to restore the nation's rights," the member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission added.
