WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton on Wednesday said President Donald Trump had decided to withdraw from the optional protocol on dispute resolution to the Vienna Convention in connection with a case challenging the recent embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called State of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” he said at a White House briefing. “I’d like to stress the United States remains a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and we expect all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention.” (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by Lisa Lambert Editing by Tom Brown)</s>Washington: The US has decided to withdraw from the optional protocol on disputes of the Vienna Convention, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Wednesday, citing a Palestinian lawsuit challenging America's move to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the reason.

The announcement by the White House came soon after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced to terminate the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. Iran made a mockery of the treaty with its support for terrorism, provocative ballistic missile proliferation and malign behaviour throughout West Asia, Bolton told reporters at a White House news conference.

"In addition to the Treaty of Amity, I am announcing that the president has decided that the United States will withdraw from the Optional Protocol and Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Bolton said. "This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called state of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging the move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," he said.

Bolton, simultaneously underscored that the US remained a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and it expects all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention.

The top Trump administration official insisted that the two actions were consistent with the decisions former US president Ronald Reagan made in the 1980s in the wake of the politicised suits against the US by Nicaragua to terminate its acceptance of the Optional Compulsory Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice under Article 36-2 of the ICJ statute, and his decision to withdraw from a bilateral treaty with Nicaragua.

"It is also consistent with the decision president Bush made in 2005 to withdraw from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations following the ICJ's interference in our domestic criminal justice system," he said. Bolton also said the administration was reviewing all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the International Court of Justice saying it was politicised and ineffective.

The US in May opened its embassy in Jerusalem under a controversial move by president Donald Trump, amid a bloodbath right on the border with Gaza where Israeli soldiers shot dead at least 52 Palestinians in clashes, in the deadliest escalation of violence since 2014. President Donald Trump announced the decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December, when he formally recognised the holy city as the capital of Israel, breaking away from decades of US neutrality on the sensitive issue.</s>The US has decided to withdraw from the optional protocol on disputes of the Vienna Convention, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Wednesday, citing a Palestinian lawsuit challenging America’s move to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the reason. The announcement by the White House came soon after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced to terminate the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran.

Iran made a mockery of the treaty with its support for terrorism, provocative ballistic missile proliferation and malign behaviour throughout the Middle East, Bolton told reporters at a White House news conference. “In addition to the Treaty of Amity, I am announcing that the president has decided that the United States will withdraw from the Optional Protocol and Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” Bolton said.

“This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called state of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” he said. Bolton, simultaneously underscored that the US remained a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and it expects all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention.

The top Trump administration official insisted that the two actions were consistent with the decisions former US President Ronald Reagan made in the 1980s in the wake of the politicised suits against the US by Nicaragua to terminate its acceptance of the Optional Compulsory Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice under Article 36-2 of the ICJ statute, and his decision to withdraw from a bilateral treaty with Nicaragua.

“It is also consistent with the decision President Bush made in 2005 to withdraw from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations following the ICJ’s interference in our domestic criminal justice system,” he said.

Bolton also said the administration was reviewing all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the International Court of Justice saying it was politicised and ineffective. The US in May opened its embassy in Jerusalem under a controversial move by President Donald Trump, amid a bloodbath right on the border with Gaza where Israeli soldiers shot dead at least 52 Palestinians in clashes, in the deadliest escalation of violence since 2014.

President Donald Trump announced the decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December, when he formally recognised the holy city as the capital of Israel, breaking away from decades of US neutrality on the sensitive issue.</s>WASHINGTON: The US has decided to withdraw from the optional protocol on disputes of the Vienna Convention, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Wednesday, citing a Palestinian lawsuit challenging America's move to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the reason.

The announcement by the White House came soon after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced to terminate the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran.

Iran made a mockery of the treaty with its support for terrorism, provocative ballistic missile proliferation and malign behaviour throughout the Middle East, Bolton told reporters at a White House news conference.

"In addition to the Treaty of Amity, I am announcing that the president has decided that the United States will withdraw from the Optional Protocol and Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Bolton said.

"This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called state of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," he said.

Bolton, simultaneously underscored that the US remained a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and it expects all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention.

The top Trump administration official insisted that the two actions were consistent with the decisions former US President Ronald Reagan made in the 1980s in the wake of the politicised suits against the US by Nicaragua to terminate its acceptance of the Optional Compulsory Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice under Article 36-2 of the ICJ statute, and his decision to withdraw from a bilateral treaty with Nicaragua.

"It is also consistent with the decision President Bush made in 2005 to withdraw from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations following the ICJ's interference in our domestic criminal justice system," he said.

Bolton also said the administration was reviewing all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the International Court of Justice saying it was politicised and ineffective.

The US in May opened its embassy in Jerusalem under a controversial move by President Donald Trump, amid a bloodbath right on the border with Gaza where Israeli soldiers shot dead at least 52 Palestinians in clashes, in the deadliest escalation of violence since 2014.

President Donald Trump announced the decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December, when he formally recognised the holy city as the capital of Israel, breaking away from decades of US neutrality on the sensitive issue.</s>The US is withdrawing from the "optional protocol" in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, John Bolton has confirmed. He said it follows a case brought by Palestine, challenging the US embassy's move to Jerusalem."I am announcing that the president has decided that the United States will withdraw from the optional protocol and dispute resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Bolton said.The decision will see the US opting out of having to attend the International Court of Justice in the case of disputes, as outlined in Article I of the "Optional Protocol Concerning the Compulsory Settlement of Disputes.""Disputes arising out of the interpretation or application of the Convention shall lie within the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and may accordingly be brought before the Court by an application made by any party to the dispute being a Party to the present Protocol," Article I states.The US is not the only country to deny acknowledgment of Palestine as a state. Its Western European allies also refrain from doing so, along with Australia and Canada. However, most countries in South America, Asia, and Africa do, along with the majority of Eastern Europe.The ICJ and the US previously butted heads in July, when Iran filed a complaint against Washington with the court. That complaint accused Washington of breaching the Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.Earlier on Wednesday, the court ordered the US to lift sanctions on Iran which are linked to humanitarian goods and civil aviation. The US responded by pulling out of the Treaty of Amity and from the protocol involving the ICJ.</s>Washington, Oct 4 (IANS) US National Security Adviser John Bolton has said the US is withdrawing from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on dispute resolution.

Speaking on Wednesday at a White House press briefing, Bolton said that “the President (Donald Trump) has decided that the US will withdraw from the optional protocol on dispute resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”, Xinhua reported.

“This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called State of Palestine naming the US as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” he said.

The protocol, with 29 signatories and 71 parties, entered into force in 1964. The US was also a participant of it.

“I’d like to stress, the US remains a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and we expect all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention,” he said.</s>The US is withdrawing from the "optional protocol" in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, John Bolton has confirmed. He said it follows a case brought by Palestine, challenging the US embassy's move to Jerusalem.

"I am announcing that the president has decided that the United States will withdraw from the optional protocol and dispute resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Bolton said.

"This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called state of Palestine, naming the United States as the defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."</s>"I am announcing that the President has decided that the United States will withdraw from the optional protocol and dispute resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Bolton told reporters.

The official explained that the move is connected with a Palestinian lawsuit. However, he noted that the core issue was not Iran or Palestine, but the ICJ, which he and the rest of the Trump team considers an "ineffective" body without jurisdiction over the US.

"This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called state of Palestine, naming the United States as the defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."

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Responding to a question as to why he did not recognize Palestine as an existing state, the adviser stated that currently, Palestine "does not meet the international law test of statehood".

"Disputes arising out of the interpretation or application of the Convention shall lie within the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and may accordingly be brought before the Court by an application made by any party to the dispute being a Party to the present Protocol," Article I states.

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The National Security Adviser went on to say that the Trump administration was undertaking a comprehensive review of all international agreements that could expose the United States to a jurisdiction dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice.

"We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice," Bolton told reporters.

Earlier in the day, the International Court of Justice made a preliminary ruling, partially upholding Iran's lawsuit filed in July, and ordering the United States to lift sanctions related to the export of humanitarian goods and civil aviation equipment.

READ MORE: Tehran: Iran's Missile Strike Near US Troops in Syria Sent Washington a 'Signal'</s>The Trump administration said Wednesday it is terminating a decades-old treaty affirming friendly relations between the US and Iran. It also announced it is withdrawing from the optional protocol for dispute resolution to the Vienna Convention. (Oct. 3) AP</s>The United States has pulled out of the “optional protocol” under the 1961 Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations to keep the Palestinians from suing the US government at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, US National Security Adviser John Bolton announced on Wednesday.



“This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called State of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” he stressed.



The Vienna Convention is an international treaty setting out diplomatic relations between states. It is often cited as a means to provide diplomatic immunity.



The Palestinians argued that the US government’s placement of its embassy in Jerusalem violated an international treaty and that it should be moved.



Dr. Omar Awadallah, head of public administration for UN human rights organizations at the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the PA is not surprised from the US move.





“We have reviewed all the scenarios when we decided to sue the United States for its illegal move. One of these scenarios is the withdrawal of the United States out of fear that it will be prosecuted before the most important judicial body in the United Nations,” he explained.



“This withdrawal will not change anything. It will not prevent us from continuing to sue the United States, and presumably does not affect the case,” Awadallah said.



"When the United States received the case, it was a member of the protocol, and we are convinced that justice will be served," he added.



The ICJ confirmed on Friday that it had received a complaint from the Palestinian State against the United States.



Notably, US President Donald Trump announced in September that he had decided to relocate the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and opened the embassy in May there.



Palestine demands that the court order the United States to withdraw its diplomatic mission from Jerusalem.
The United States announces its withdrawal from the optional protocol concerning compulsory settlement of disputes of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.