WASHINGTON (JTA) — Top Trump administration officials cited a win for Iran and a complaint brought by Palestinians in announcing a review of the U.S. relationship with the International Court of Justice.
“We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice,” John Bolton, the national security adviser, said Wednesday in a briefing for reporters.
Among other actions, the United States would withdraw from an agreement that gives the ICJ jurisdictions over diplomatic disputes, Bolton said.
“This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called State of Palestine, naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Bolton said.
Also at issue was a decision this week by the ICJ that the United States ensure that its sanctions on Iran do not have deleterious humanitarian effects on the country.
“We’re disappointed that the court failed to recognize 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,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a separate briefing for reporters.
Pompeo also announced that the United States was withdrawing from a 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran that the current regime used to bring the complaint to the ICJ.
