Self-Defense and the Oil Platforms Decision

Abstract

On November 6, 2003, the International Court of Justice issued its decision in Case Concerning Oil Platforms (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America).' In this case, Iran claimed that the United States had breached the "freedom of commerce" provision in the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights between the two countries by taking military action against Iranian offshore oil platforms in 1987 and 1988. The Court properly rejected this claim, finding that the U.S. actions against the oil platforms did not disrupt commerce between the territories of Iran and the United States.