Tehran Warns of Legal Action Over U.S. Harassment of Diplomats
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Iran has sent a warning to the United States that it may take action at the World Court over "illegal actions” against Iranian diplomats at the United Nations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Saturday.
A note was sent to the United States through the Swiss embassy which represents U.S. interests in Iran, he said, warning that Tehran may take Washington to the World Court.
The U.S. has sanctioned Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif in 2019.
Washington has also repeatedly harassed Iranian diplomats and their families at the UN and other international bodies based in the U.S.
In September 2019, the U.S. rejected a request by Zarif to visit Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi in a New York hospital where he was being treated for cancer. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said "disgrace will remain for a government that takes humanitarian issues hostage for its political goals.”
In October 2020, a Republican lawmaker said the U.S. should respond "forcefully” against Iranian diplomats. "I believe that it would be an important action for the United States to take, to revoke the visas of the UN diplomats who are here from Iran, as well as further applications in the future,” Lee Zeldin told Fox News.
Khatibzadeh on Saturday warned the U.S. that "if it does not stop its illegal actions against Iranian diplomats in international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which are headquartered in the U.S., Iran will take that country to the International Court of Justice.”
"The U.S. government has long caused constraints for Iranian
diplomats and their families in international organizations in the U.S., in violation of the international law. Such measures have disrupted the work of Iranian diplomats and those of several other countries,” he added.
The spokesman said despite its obligations as host to several international organizations, the U.S. "has never been a proper host,” and has harassed the diplomats of the countries it has issues with, along with their families and children.
Iran’s warning comes in the wake of the latest U.S. sanctions against Iranian organizations and individuals as well as foreign companies and persons doing business with them.
Trump’s outgoing administration on Friday imposed more sanctions on companies in Iran, China and the United Arab Emirates for doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and on three Iranian entities over conventional arms proliferation.
The new sanctions imposed in the final days of Trump’s presidency came two days after the U.S. blacklisted two Iranian foundations and their subsidies, claiming the institutions kept the ownership over large parts of the country’s economy.
A note was sent to the United States through the Swiss embassy which represents U.S. interests in Iran, he said, warning that Tehran may take Washington to the World Court.
The U.S. has sanctioned Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif in 2019.
Washington has also repeatedly harassed Iranian diplomats and their families at the UN and other international bodies based in the U.S.
In September 2019, the U.S. rejected a request by Zarif to visit Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi in a New York hospital where he was being treated for cancer. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said "disgrace will remain for a government that takes humanitarian issues hostage for its political goals.”
In October 2020, a Republican lawmaker said the U.S. should respond "forcefully” against Iranian diplomats. "I believe that it would be an important action for the United States to take, to revoke the visas of the UN diplomats who are here from Iran, as well as further applications in the future,” Lee Zeldin told Fox News.
Khatibzadeh on Saturday warned the U.S. that "if it does not stop its illegal actions against Iranian diplomats in international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which are headquartered in the U.S., Iran will take that country to the International Court of Justice.”
"The U.S. government has long caused constraints for Iranian
diplomats and their families in international organizations in the U.S., in violation of the international law. Such measures have disrupted the work of Iranian diplomats and those of several other countries,” he added.
The spokesman said despite its obligations as host to several international organizations, the U.S. "has never been a proper host,” and has harassed the diplomats of the countries it has issues with, along with their families and children.
Iran’s warning comes in the wake of the latest U.S. sanctions against Iranian organizations and individuals as well as foreign companies and persons doing business with them.
Trump’s outgoing administration on Friday imposed more sanctions on companies in Iran, China and the United Arab Emirates for doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and on three Iranian entities over conventional arms proliferation.
The new sanctions imposed in the final days of Trump’s presidency came two days after the U.S. blacklisted two Iranian foundations and their subsidies, claiming the institutions kept the ownership over large parts of the country’s economy.