Washington vows to fight Iran world court action as ICJ proceedings begin

The United States views Iran’s filing with the International Court of Justice as an attempt to interfere with its rights to take actions on national security grounds, the State Department said on Monday. Washington will also fight Tehran’s claims, the statement said, as oral proceedings began before the court, Reuters reported. “Iran’s filing with the ICJ is an attempt to interfere with the sovereign rights of the United States to take lawful actions, including re-imposition of sanctions, which are necessary to protect our national security,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. “The proceedings instituted by Iran are a misuse of the Court,” it added. Tehran on Monday demanded the UN’s top court suspend US nuclear-linked sanctions, accusing Washington of plotting its “economic strangulation.”