Anglo-lranian Oil Co. (United Kingdom v. Iran)
Encyclopedia
The Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. (United Kingdom v. Iran) case was a dispute between the UK and Iran
, in which the UK alleged that the Iranian Oil Nationalization act of 1951 was counter to a convention agreed upon by the (then) Anglo-Persian Oil Co. (now BP
) and the Imperial Government of Persia (now Iran) in 1933, which granted the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. a 60-year license to mine oil in 100000 square miles (258,998.8 km²) of Iran in return for a percentage royalty.
On 26 May 1951, the UK took Iran to the International Court of Justice
, demanding that the 1933 agreement be upheld and that Iran pay damages and compensation for disrupting the UK-incorporated company's profits.
On 22 July 1952, the ICJ decided because Iran had only conceded to ICJ jurisdiction in cases involving treaties agreed upon after 1932, and as the only treaty cited by the UK after that date was between Iran and a foreign company (and not the UK itself), that it had no jurisdiction in this matter (Iran's original contention).
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, in which the UK alleged that the Iranian Oil Nationalization act of 1951 was counter to a convention agreed upon by the (then) Anglo-Persian Oil Co. (now BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
) and the Imperial Government of Persia (now Iran) in 1933, which granted the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. a 60-year license to mine oil in 100000 square miles (258,998.8 km²) of Iran in return for a percentage royalty.
On 26 May 1951, the UK took Iran to the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
, demanding that the 1933 agreement be upheld and that Iran pay damages and compensation for disrupting the UK-incorporated company's profits.
On 22 July 1952, the ICJ decided because Iran had only conceded to ICJ jurisdiction in cases involving treaties agreed upon after 1932, and as the only treaty cited by the UK after that date was between Iran and a foreign company (and not the UK itself), that it had no jurisdiction in this matter (Iran's original contention).