International Court of Justice — Alleged violations of Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights, 1955 — Alleged violations of customary rules of international law on sovereign immunity — Preliminary objections — Jurisdiction of the Court — Admissibility of claims

International Court of Justice — Jurisdiction — Jurisdiction under Article XXI(2) of Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights, 1955 — Jurisdiction ratione materiae — Article XX(1)(c) and (d) of 1955 Treaty — Whether 1955 Treaty including restrictions on scope of International Court of Justice jurisdiction — Issue already decided in Court’s earlier jurisprudence — Confirmation of earlier findings — Whether certain provisions of 1955 Treaty incorporating rules of customary international law on sovereign immunity — Article IV(2) — Article XI(4) — Article III(2) — Article IV(1) — Article X(1) — Definition of “company” under Article III(1) of 1955 Treaty — Whether Central Bank of Iran a “company” under 1955 Treaty — Relevance of an entity’s functions for it to be a “company” under 1955 Treaty — Determination of functions a matter for merits — Whether objection possessing an exclusively preliminary character

Claims — Admissibility of claims — Abuse of process — Distinction from abuse of rights — Abuse of process not a new objection — Re-characterisation of objection — Exceptional circumstances not present — Unclean hands — Allegations of sponsoring terrorism — No decision on status of unclean hands doctrine under international law — Whether conditions for unclean hands doctrine satisfied in the circumstances