European Court of Justice Approach to Iranian Banks Claims

Following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1737 in 2007, the European Union imposed sanctions on individuals and entities, including some Iranian banks. Sanctions imposed by the European Union have prompted Iranian banks under sanctions to seek relief from the Court of Justice of the European Union, seeking sanctions relief and compensation, which they have sought in some of the lawsuits until 2015. Some of these cases were successful. In contrast to this practice, after the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015, certain applications were dismissed. This article will first briefly outline the legal bases and legal framework for sanctioning Iranian banks by the EU, and after referring to the status of Iranian banks in this regard in the post-JCPOA period, three examples of lawsuits filed by Iranian banks against the EU will be analyzed to answer the essential question of the article on how and why the banks are sanctioned and the Court's approach to the lawsuits.