In a tit for tat move over the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Iran, Iran’s Parliament approved a bill obligating the Iranian government to seek compensation from the United States for 63 years of “spiritual and material damage.” The bill passed with 174 votes in favor, seven votes against and four abstentions. The outgoing Parliament (Majles), which is dominated by hardliners, blamed Washington for several actions against Iran that include:
- CIA-led 1953 coup that overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh’s government and restored the monarchy
- Death of 223,600 soldiers in the Iran-Iraq War (implicating the Washington for supporting Saddam Hussein)
- Destruction of oil platforms in the late 1980s
- Assassination of 17,000 people by U.S.-backed groups
- Blocking , confiscating or seizing Iranian assets
Iran has vehemently denied it played a role in any terror attack despite it being the biggest supporter of state-sponsored terrorism in the world. This prompted Iranian legislator, Hamid Rasa’ei to propose an amendment to the bill that stated Iran should “seize US assets” passing through the Strait of Hormuz:
“If the US should seek to misappropriate the Iranian nation’s assets, the strait must be turned into an insecure place for them and US vessels banned from passing through it.”
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling:
“The [Iranian] government will never allow for the money that belongs to the Iranian nation be easily gobbled up by the Americans.”
Tehran has denounced the seizure of the frozen assets as “highway robbery,” vowing that the Islamic Republic will retrieve the sum anyway. Will this Iranian legislation against the U.S. for reparations be taken seriously? Sound off in the comments below!
