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ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Bagheri said: “As the dominant power in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, [Iran] has been the guarantor of the security of shipping and the global economy in this vital waterway and has the strength to take action against any scheme in this region.”
Bagheri also remarked that US threats against Iran will draw a “strong, unimaginable and regrettable” response from Tehran, IRNA news agency reported.
Iran has been looking to the main markets for its oil exports—which also include China, India and South Korea—for clear statements of support in its campaign to resist the Trump sanctions assault. The level of backing it will receive from each of the key countries is still very much in question but Tehran will be encouraged by the stance adopted by Turkey.
Turkey meets almost all of its energy needs with imports. In the first four months of this year, Turkey bought more than 3mn tonnes of crude oil from Iran, almost 55% of its total crude supplies, according to data from the Turkish energy watchdog (EPDK) cited by Reuters.
Turkey’s refusal to cooperate with the White House in regard to Iran may have been strengthened by the ongoing row over its plan to buy the S-400 advanced missile defence system from Russia. In response to the planned acquisition and other issues such as the detention of American citizens in Turkey, the US, a fellow Nato member, has made moves that may block the delivery of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Ankara.
2.7 Iran cites 1955 treaty as it sues US at World Court over sanctions
Iran on July 17 filed a lawsuit against the US at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the reimposition of heavy sanctions against Tehran by the Trump administration, claiming the move violates the little-known Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights , signed as far back as 1955 by the two countries.
Reuters quoted a US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying Iran’s application to the World Court—citing a treaty that was signed when the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, still sat on the throne and Dwight Eisenhower was the US president—was without merit and that Washington would vigorously fight it in the court.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter that the case was filed at the ICJ to hold the US "accountable for its unlawful reimposition of unilateral sanctions".
"Iran is committed to the rule of law in the face of US contempt for diplomacy and legal obligations," Zarif tweeted. "It's imperative to counter its habit of violating international law."
“In order to make up for the United States’ re-imposition of illegal sanctions against our country, to reclaim the rights of the Iranian nation and to
10 IRAN Country Report August 2018 www.intellinews.com