On Sunday, media reported that Iranian lawmakers passed a motion obligating the government to seek compensation from the United States for damages incurred for the decades of coup attempts and sanctions.
"We cannot remain silent and we will file a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice in The Hague for such illegal actions. In addition, we also intend to sue Washington for all the crimes committed by the US against Iran since the 1953 coup. Staged by the US special services, it led to the torture and murder of scores of innocent Iranian citizens," Sheikholeslam said.
The lawmaker cited a spate of US moves against Iran, including Washington's role in killing hundreds of Iranians during the 1979 Revolution and the 1988 downing of an Iranian A300 airliner by the US missile cruiser Vincennes over the Persian Gulf.
"All of these are none other than US crimes against the Iranian people, which are out of line with previously signed international agreements. So Washington should be taken to court for all of these [transgressions], which is why we decided to lodge a relevant lawsuit," he added.
The vote on the bill and the interview came after the US Supreme Court's April ruling in favor of the 2012 US Congress legislation allowing victims of alleged Iran-sponsored terrorist attacks and their families to collect $2 billion in restitutions from the Central Bank of Iran.
