Legal Disputes Between Iran and the United States and Their Impact on Bilateral Relations

Abstract

The relationship between Iran and the United States over the past several decades has been shaped by numerous political and legal conflicts. One of the most significant aspects of this relationship involves legal disputes between the two countries, which have expanded following the Islamic Revolution of Iran and the continued state of hostile relations. The present article examines the damage determination regime in legal disputes between Iran and the United States and analyzes the impact of these disputes on their bilateral relations. The central research question is: how have legal disputes and the rulings issued by international judicial bodies—particularly the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and arbitral tribunals—affected the relationship between Iran and the United States? This study employs a qualitative analytical methodology, focusing on the examination of international legal documents, judgments of judicial bodies, and authoritative legal sources, while assessing their political and legal ramifications. The findings indicate that the legal disputes between the two countries—including issues such as human rights violations, terrorism, property confiscation, and military attacks—have contributed to heightened hostility and the deterioration of bilateral relations. Moreover, the United States’ failure to enforce legal rulings and its political interference have further complicated bilateral ties and expanded the scope of new legal claims in both domestic and international courts.