Iran welcomes UN court order on US to lift sanctions

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The United Nations' highest court on Wednesday ordered the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods and products and services linked to the safety of civil aviation.

The ruling by the International Court of Justice is legally binding, but it remains to be seen if the administration of President Donald Trump will comply.

Trump moved to restore tough US sanctions in May after withdrawing from Teheran's nuclear accord with world powers. Iran challenged the sanctions in a case filed in July at the International Court of Justice.

In a preliminary ruling, the court said that Washington must "remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from" the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

While imposing the so-called "provisional measures", the court's president, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, stressed that the ruling does not prejudge the ultimate outcome of the case or establish that the court has jurisdiction.

Iran's Foreign Ministry welcomed the ruling.

"The decision proved once again that the Islamic Republic is right and the US sanctions against people and citizens of our country are illegal and cruel," the ministry said in a statement published on Tasnim news agency and state media.

The US is expected to challenge the court's jurisdiction in a future hearing.

At hearings in August, Teheran sought the suspension of the sanctions while the case challenging their legality is being heard- a process that can take years. US lawyers responded that the sanctions are a legal and justified national security measure that cannot be challenged by Teheran at the world court.

In its decision, the court said that the US sanctions "have the potential to endanger civil aviation safety" in Iran and that sanctions limiting sales of goods required for humanitarian needs such as food, medicines and medical devices "may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran".

The court said that the Trump administration must "ensure that licenses and necessary authorizations are granted" and payments not restricted if they are linked to the humanitarian and aviation goods.