The highest court of the United Nations will issue its ruling Thursday in a case between Washington and Tehran , which seeks the release of about two billion dollars in frozen assets in the United States .

This ruling, which will be issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, comes amid renewed tensions between the two countries after the recent US air strikes that targeted pro-Iranian groups in Syria and Tehran's support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The ruling of the court, which was formed after World War II to adjudicate disputes between member states of the United Nations, will be issued from 15:00 (13:00 GMT).

The rulings of the International Court of Justice are binding and not subject to appeal, but this body has no means of implementing them.

Thus, countries can turn to the United Nations Security Council if another country does not comply with a resolution.

Iran began the procedure in 2016, saying the frozen funds were crucial for the country, which is facing economic hardship after sanctions imposed by the West over its nuclear programme.

And the American judiciary allowed Iranian funds to be seized to compensate American victims, according to it, for terrorist attacks that were instigated or supported by the Islamic Republic.

Washington referred in particular to the killing of 241 American soldiers on October 23, 1983, in two suicide attacks targeting the American and French units of the Multinational Security Force in Beirut.

Tehran denies any responsibility and says the US seizure of its financial assets is illegal.

Iran based its request on a bilateral treaty signed between Tehran and Washington in 1955, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the pro-US shah and ended diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Shortly after its withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear agreement in 2018, Washington announced that it would formally end the 1955 treaty, and after Washington suspended its implementation, Iran cannot therefore rely on it, according to the United States.

This ruling comes at a time when relations between the two countries are witnessing new tension.

Iran described US air strikes targeting pro-Iranian groups in Syria, in response to a deadly drone strike, as an "aggressive and terrorist attack."

At least 19 fighters, most of them Syrians, were killed as a result of these strikes that took place last week in eastern Syria, according to the latest toll reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Washington explained at the time that it launched strikes after an attack by an "Iranian" march on a "maintenance facility at a coalition forces base near Hasakah in northeastern Syria," which led to the death of "an American contractor, and the wounding of five American soldiers and another American contractor."