Historical Organization
ICJ
ICJ
Details
Organization Timeline
Iran brings the Flight 655 case to the ICJ
📅 17 May 1989Iran filed a case against the United States over the destruction of Iran Air Flight 655, pursuing international legal redress for the deaths.
ICJ sets the Flight 655 pleading timetable
📅 13 December 1989The Court fixed deadlines for Iran’s Memorial and the U.S. Counter-Memorial.
ICJ extends initial Flight 655 filing deadlines
📅 12 June 1990The Court extended deadlines for the initial written pleadings.
Iran files its Flight 655 Memorial
📅 24 July 1990Iran submitted its written Memorial setting out its case over the airliner’s destruction.
United States challenges ICJ jurisdiction in Flight 655 case
📅 4 March 1991The United States filed preliminary objections. These challenged the Court’s ability to hear Iran’s case.
ICJ schedules Iran’s response to U.S. objections
📅 9 April 1991The Court set a deadline for Iran’s written response to the preliminary objections.
ICJ extends Iran’s objections-response deadline
📅 18 December 1991The Court extended the deadline for Iran’s written observations on U.S. objections.
ICJ grants a further extension in the Flight 655 case
📅 5 June 1992A further order extended Iran’s deadline to respond to preliminary objections.
Iran responds to Flight 655 jurisdictional objections
📅 9 September 1992Iran filed observations and submissions answering the U.S. preliminary objections.
Iran files the Oil Platforms case
📅 2 November 1992Iran sought redress for U.S. attacks on Iranian oil platforms in 1987 and 1988, invoking the 1955 Treaty of Amity.
ICAO submits observations in the Flight 655 case
📅 4 December 1992The International Civil Aviation Organization supplied observations to the Court during Iran’s case.
ICJ sets the Oil Platforms pleading timetable
📅 4 December 1992The Court fixed deadlines for Iran’s Memorial and the U.S. Counter-Memorial.
Iran submits its Oil Platforms Memorial
📅 8 June 1993Iran filed its Memorial supporting the claim concerning destruction of its offshore platforms.
United States raises an Oil Platforms jurisdictional objection
📅 16 December 1993The United States filed a preliminary objection to jurisdiction over Iran’s claim.
Iran answers the Oil Platforms preliminary objection
📅 1 July 1994Iran filed observations and submissions defending the Court’s jurisdiction.
Settlement talks pause the Flight 655 hearings
📅 8 August 1994Iran and the United States jointly requested postponement of hearings while negotiating a possible settlement.
Iran and the United States sign a Flight 655 settlement
📅 9 February 1996The parties signed a settlement agreement. The dispute moved toward negotiated closure rather than a merits judgment.
ICJ removes the settled Flight 655 case
📅 22 February 1996The Court recorded discontinuance and removed the case after a joint notification. It did not decide the merits.
ICJ accepts jurisdiction over Iran’s commerce claim
📅 12 December 1996The Court rejected the U.S. preliminary objection and accepted jurisdiction over Iran’s claim under Article X(1) of the Treaty of Amity.
United States files a counterclaim against Iran
📅 23 June 1997The U.S. Counter-Memorial included a counterclaim concerning Iranian actions against Gulf shipping.
Iran requests a hearing on the U.S. counterclaim
📅 18 November 1997Iran asked for a hearing concerning admissibility of the counterclaim.
ICJ admits the U.S. Oil Platforms counterclaim
📅 10 March 1998The Court admitted the counterclaim for consideration. Admissibility did not establish Iran’s liability.
Iran files its reply and counterclaim defense
📅 10 March 1999Iran submitted its Reply and Defence to the U.S. Counter-Claim.
United States files its Oil Platforms Rejoinder
📅 23 March 2001The United States submitted its Rejoinder in the continuing litigation.
ICJ authorizes Iran’s additional counterclaim pleading
📅 28 August 2001An order allowed Iran a further written pleading relating to the U.S. counterclaim.
Iran submits a further counterclaim response
📅 24 September 2001Iran filed an additional response to the counterclaim after the Court authorized another pleading.
Oil Platforms merits hearings open
📅 17 February 2003Public hearings opened on Iran’s claim and the U.S. counterclaim, bringing wartime maritime disputes before the Court.
Oil Platforms public hearings conclude
📅 7 March 2003The hearings ended and the Court moved to deliberation on the claim and counterclaim.
ICJ delivers its Oil Platforms judgment
📅 6 November 2003The Court rejected the U.S. security justification for the attacks, but did not uphold Iran’s treaty-commerce claim. It also dismissed the U.S. counterclaim.