U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, Oct. 3, 2018. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said here on Wednesday that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said here on Wednesday that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran.
Pompeo said at a press briefing that "I'm announcing that the U.S. is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. This is a decision, frankly, that is 39 years overdue."
The United States will see the practical impact of pulling out of the treaty, he added.
Earlier Wednesday, the Hague-based International Court of Justice issued a verdict against U.S. unilateral sanctions, following U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying the restoration of sanctions against Iran by U.S. President Donald Trump violate the terms of the treaty between the two countries.
It ordered the United States to ensure that its sanctions against Iran will not affect the humanitarian condition or threaten civil aviation safety.
In response, Pompeo said that Iran is abusing the court for its own political purposes.
"We're disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States," Pompeo said.
Pompeo also blamed Iran for threats to American missions in Iraq, days after he announced the closing of the U.S. consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has condemned the U.S. claim as "irresponsible," saying that such attempts to shift the blame onto others would not erase the U.S. "destructive" role in Iraq.
