“The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, has fixed the time-limits for the filing of the initial pleadings in the case concerning Alleged Violations of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America),” reads the statement.

“By an Order dated 10 October 2018, the Court fixed 10 April 2019 and 10 October 2019 as the respective time-limits for the filing of a Memorial by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and a Counter-Memorial by the United States of America,” it continues, adding, “the Court made the Order having regard to the views of the Parties. The subsequent procedure has been reserved for further decision.”

In its interim order regarding the case on October 3, ICJ voted in favor of Iran, saying that the US sanctions imposed in May against Iran violate the terms of their 1955 Treaty of Amity and asked the US to lift its sanctions against Iran linked to civil aviation, humanitarian goods, and medicines.

In reaction to ICJ ruling, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Iran is abusing the ICJ, and added that “the United States is terminating the Treaty of Amity with Iran.”

The 1955 US-Iran Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights was signed during the terms of US president Dwight Eisenhower and Iranian Prime Minister Hossein Ala. According to Nationalinterest website, the treaty consists of an introduction and twenty-three articles. It emphasizes friendly relations while encouraging mutual trade and investments and regulating consular relations. The treaty was signed by Mostafa Samiy (the Iranian deputy of the ministry of foreign affairs) and Selden Chapin (the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States) at Tehran just a week before the second anniversary of the 1953 Coup. The treaty came into force in June 1957, one month after the day of exchange of the instruments of ratification at Tehran. Ever since it’s provided the legal framework for bilateral relations between Iran and the United States.