ICJ orders US to lift Iran sanctions

The United Nations' International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday directed the United States to lift the sanctions imposed on humanitarian goods and civil aviation against Iran.

"On humanitarian grounds, the US must remove by means of its choosing any impediment to the free exportation to Iran of goods involving humanitarian concerns," Al Jazeera reported.

Iran's foreign ministry welcomed the interim order while stating, "The decision proved once again that the Islamic Republic is right and the US sanctions against people and citizens of our country are illegal and cruel."

While the ICJ's rulings are binding, they do not have the authority to enforce them.

Earlier, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had lashed out at the sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump-led US administration at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held this year. Rouhani further said that the sanctions amounted to "economic terrorism" and "economic war".

Meanwhile, Michael Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, had called for the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran at a breakfast meeting with his P-5 counterparts in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA.

In 2015, six countries-Iran, US, Britain, Germany, Russia, France, and China-signed the Iran Nuclear deal, for lifting sanctions on Tehran in exchange for the country's nuclear programme.

However, Trump-led USA withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May this year.