Iran in Making a Mockery of International Law
Earlier this week, Secretary of State Pompeo announced the U.S. was ending the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights with Iran. This justified decision comes after three decades of Iran blatantly violating its terms. No other state has defied international norms to such severity as Iran. The terrorist regime in Tehran has no respect for international law or multilateral agreements, and thus should not be shown the respect responsible nations are afforded.
Just earlier this week, a German court ruled that an Iranian diplomat violated his diplomatic immunity for participating in an attempted terrorist operation in France. Meanwhile, Iranian proxies fired rockets at U.S. diplomatic outposts in Iraq. But this was nothing new.
Since the founding of the Islamic Republic, Iran has flouted all diplomatic protocol to pursue its murderous agenda. Its diplomats use their special status to facilitate terrorism, assassinate dissidents, and pursue sanctions busting schemes. For example, in the early 1990s Iranian diplomats in Argentina were deeply involved in the terrorist bombings of the Israeli embassy and AMIA Jewish center. This classic Iranian behavior continues around the globe today.
Despite these outrageous acts, Iran has the audacity to pursue legal action against the U.S. based on the 1955 treaty, claiming U.S. sanctions violate its terms. Yet, the Islamic Republic ignores the fact that it terminated the treaty the day it raided the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held U.S. diplomats hostage. That day in 1979 the mullahs in Iran replaced amity with hostility. Nevertheless, Iran’s Foreign Minister blames the U.S., calling us an ‘‘outlaw regime.’’ Why any nation takes Iran’s government seriously is beyond logical explanation.
By enabling Iran’s duplicitous and evil behavior, organizations like the International Court of Justice undermine their own legitimacy. What justice are the Iranian people shown when they are beat and murdered by regime thugs in their own streets? What justice is shown to the victims of Iranian supported terrorism around the globe?
The ICJ’s decision is a joke where only the murderers in Tehran are laughing. It is time for our partners in the international community to grow a spine and stand up to the illegal behavior of the Iranian regime. No nation is safe so long as we allow the mullahs in Iran to mock justice rather than be held to it.