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Top UN Court Rejects Iranian Bid to Free Assets Frozen by U.S.

(AP) Mike Corder - In a 10-5 majority ruling, the International Court of Justice on Thursday rejected Tehran's legal bid to free up $2 billion in Iranian central bank assets frozen by U.S. authorities to be paid in compensation to victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Iran, saying it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the Iranian claim. Court vice-president Kirill Gevorgian said the majority "upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by the United States of America relating to the claims of the Islamic Republic of Iran." The court found that some other U.S. moves to seize assets of Iran and Iranians in the U.S. breached a 1955 treaty between the countries and said they should negotiate compensation. But it said the protections offered by the 1955 Treaty of Amity do not extend to central banks. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that money belonging to Iran's central bank could be used as compensation for the 241 American troops who died in the 1983 bombing, believed linked to Tehran.
2023-04-03 00:00:00
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