THE HAGUE: In a partial victory for Iran, judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday ruled Washington had illegally allowed courts to freeze assets of some Iranian companies and ordered the United States to pay compensation, the amount of which will be determined later.

However, in a blow for Tehran, the World Court said it did not have jurisdiction over $1.75 billion in frozen assets from Iran’s central bank. Acting Legal Adviser Rich Visek of the US State Department said in a written statement that the ruling rejected the “vast majority of Iran’s case,” notably where it concerned the assets of the central bank.

“This is a major victory for the United States and victims of Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism,” Visek added.

Iran tells ICJ US illegally froze Iranian assets

In a reaction shared by Iran’s foreign ministry on its Telegram channel it hailed the decision as “highlighting the legitimacy” of its positions and “expressing the wrongful behavior of the United States”.

The ruling comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran after tit-for-tat strikes between Iran-backed forces and US personnel in Syria last week.

Relations have been strained after attempts to revive a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers stalled, and as Iranian drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine.

The case before the ICE, also known as the World Court, was initially brought by Tehran against Washington in 2016 for allegedly breaching a 1955 friendship treaty by allowing US courts to freeze assets of Iranian companies. The money was to be given in compensation to victims of terrorist attacks.

The Islamic Republic denies supporting international terrorism.

The 1950s friendship treaty was signed long before Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, which toppled the US-backed shah, and the subsequent severing of US-Iranian relations.