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US court ruling on Iran frozen assets threat to intl. law: Official

A file photo of the building of the Supreme Court of the United States in New York City

A senior Iranian lawmaker says the baseless ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States authorizing the seizure of about USD 2 billion of Iran’s frozen assets in the US is a serious threat to international law.

“The US must know that as it has experienced the bitter taste of defeat in all areas of confrontation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, it will experience a heavy defeat in this area as well,” First Vice Speaker of Iran's Parliament Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard said on Sunday.

He added that the great Iranian nation would strongly confront Washington’s illegal move and restore its rights in the best possible way.

The US Congressmen and some other statesmen think that they are living in the “Stone Age” and that they can confiscate other nations’ interests on the strength of their military power to serve their own “illegitimate” interests, the Iranian lawmaker said.

On April 20, the US Supreme Court ruled that about USD 2 billion in frozen Iranian assets must be turned over to American families of people killed in the 1983 bombing of a US Marine Corps barracks in the Lebanese capital of Beirut and other attacks blamed on Iran. The Islamic Republic has denied any role in the attack.

The money confiscated under the US court ruling belongs to the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). The assets have been blocked under US sanctions.

On April 28, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, saying Tehran reserves the right to take countermeasures in response to the decision made by the court.

The Iranian foreign minister called on the UN chief to use his "good offices" to press Washington to release Iran’s frozen assets in US banks in line with the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six global powers last year.

UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, on April 29 confirmed the receipt of Zarif's letter and said, "The secretary general's good offices are always available should both parties to whatever tensions or issue request it."

On April 26, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Swiss Ambassador Giulio Haas, who represents the US interests in Tehran, to protest the controversial ruling.


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