World Court tells US to ease Iran sanctions
With the number of humpback whales dipping to less than 100 in Oman’s waters, there is fear the precious species is facing a threat of extinction, says an environment expert.
“They might be listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ list of species facing such a threat,” said Andro Wilson, Field Manager of the Renaissance Whale and Dolphin Research Team, Five Oceans Environmental Services.
He said the studies conducted since 2000 have revealed humpback whales in Arabian Sea are the only one of its kind that don’t migrate on annual basis between tropical and polar regions.
In an attempt to document this, the Environment Society of Oman (ESO) placed satellite tags on 14 humpback whales in 2014 to monitor their movements and understand their behaviour.
It was learned, they moved along the southern coasts of Oman to the east towards the Indian Ocean before appearing again on India’s shores.
Wilson said it was a big achievement to track the humpback whales in the Arabian Sea in order to understand the connection between Arabian Sea whales and the possibility of their existence in other areas.
STUDIES HAVE REVEALED HUMPBACK WHALES IN ARABIAN SEA DON’T MIGRATE BETWEEN TROPICAL, POLAR REGIONS
THE HAGUE: The World Court ordered the United States on Wednesday to ensure that sanctions against Iran, due to be tightened next month, do not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety.
Judges at the International Court Of Justice (ICJ) handed a small victory to Tehran, which had argued that sanctions imposed since May by the administration of US President Donald Trump violate terms of a 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries.
But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected the decision. He said the United Nations court, often called the “World Court”, had no jurisdiction over the sanctions, which Pompeo said were essential to US security interests, and that Washington would “terminate” the little-known treaty with Iran.
“This is a decision frankly that is 39 years overdue,” Pompeo told a news conference.
Pompeo said the United States had already taken steps to ensure that the sanctions, which it intends to tighten next month, do not impact humanitarian aid — regardless of the court’s ruling. The court order issued on Wednesday was temporary, pending a resolution of Iran’s full lawsuit against Washington at the ICJ, something that could take years.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement “the decision proved once again that the Islamic Republic is right and the US sanctions against people and citizens of our country are illegal and cruel.
“The United States must comply with its international commitments and lift obstacles to Iranian trade,” it added.