The United States is terminating the Treaty of Amity reached with Iran in pre-revolutionary days, calling it an “absolute absurdity” given the tensions between the two countries. The United States and Iran do not have any formal diplomatic relations or ties. The two nations share an acrimonious…
The United States is terminating the Treaty of Amity reached with Iran in pre-revolutionary days, calling it an “absolute absurdity” given the tensions between the two countries.
Background
The United States and Iran do not have any formal diplomatic relations or ties. The two nations share an acrimonious relationship. In 1953, the CIA played a key role in orchestrating a coup against Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadeq. Between 1979 and 1981, a group of Iranian students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The 44 hostages were released after 444 days. In 2002, US President, George W. Bush, described Iran as being part of the “axis of evil.”
On 2 April 2015, the P5+1 and Iran reached a provisional agreement that sought to lift most of the sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear programs extending for at least ten years. When the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certified that Iran had restricted its sensitive nuclear activities, the UN sanctions were lifted on January 16, 2016.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and re-imposed economic sanctions on Tehran. President Trump has been openly critical about the Iran deal and has sought to dissuade other members of the JCPOA to withdraw as well. A fresh set of US sanctions are estimated to come into effect in November 2018.
Analysis
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the United States is terminating the Treaty of Amity reached with Iran in pre-revolutionary days, calling it an “absolute absurdity” given the tensions between the two countries.
The impetus for the United States tearing up the treaty was a decision earlier Wednesday in the International Court of Justice, which ordered the Trump administration to lift some sanctions on Iran. The top U.N. court, which is in The Hague, does not have the power to enforce its decisions, which are usually ignored by the United States anyway.
“We ought to have pulled out of it decades ago,” Pompeo said, calling it “39 years overdue” in a reference to the 1979 revolution in Iran. “Today marked a useful point with the decision that was made this morning from the ICJ. This marked a useful point for us to demonstrate the absolute absurdity of the Treaty of Amity between the United States and the Islamic Republic.”
The court told the United States that it should lift a number of sanctions that were re-imposed after President Trump announced in May that he would withdraw from the landmark nuclear agreement with Iran. A more punishing round of sanctions against Iran’s oil and financial sectors is scheduled to take effect Nov. 4, and the United States is warning allies that they could face secondary sanctions if they continue to do business with Iran
The court ruling was a moral victory for Tehran, even though it was hoping for a more sweeping decision on the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal. It had argued that U.S. sanctions, which were lifted when the agreement was implemented in 2016, violated the 1955 Treaty of Amity.
“We’re disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States, which is doing its work on Iran to protect its own essential security interests,” Pompeo said.
The United States has blamed Iran for the launch of two missiles last week that fell near the U.S. Consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra. Last Friday, Pompeo ordered U.S. diplomats to evacuate the mission and relocate. The U.S. military is standing by ready to assist.
Assessment
Our assessment is that Tehran will not pursue new negotiations with Washington unless the sanctions are withdrawn. We believe that the failure of the deal could undermine nuclear non-proliferation efforts, the authority of the UN Security Council, compromise the security of the Middle East and stability in the wider world.
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