United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran (United States of America v. Iran)

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Iran hostage crisis, international law visualized.
In 1979, militants occupied the American Embassy in Iran, and detained as hostages its diplomatic and consular staff.
The United States filed a complaint against Iran with the International Court of Justice, requesting the imposition of interim measures, but Iran did not participate in the proceeding.
The world Court indicated provisional measures requiring Iran to ensure the immediate restoration of diplomatic premises to the USA, to release the hostages, and afford all the diplomatic personnel the protection, privileges, and immunities to which they were entitled.
On the merits, the Court held that it had jurisdiction based on the Vienna Conventions and the 1955 Treaty of Amity between the United States and Iran;
The Court also held that, The Iranian authorities' inability to secure the premises, when extremists occupied the Embassy and kidnapped its inmates as hostages, violated Iran's responsibilities under the two Vienna Conventions, and the bilateral treaty of 1955, that the militants became agents of the State, which itself became responsible for their acts;
That Iran must terminate the unlawful detention of the hostages, ensure that they can leave Iran, and return the Embassy's premises.
That no member of the American diplomatic staff may be detained in Iran, to be subjected to judicial proceedings or to participate in them as a witness, and that Iran must compensate the United States.
In 1981, the parties reached an agreement, and the case was dropped.

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