The Hague (UN News) -- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled in favor of Iran in its claim that the late-1980s bombing by the United States of its oil platforms in the Persian Gulf was in breach of a treaty between the two countries.

The Court’s President, Judge Shi Jiuyong, read out its judgment – which is final and cannot be appealed – Thursday in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The Court ruled 14-2 that the U.S. had breached its obligations under a 1955 treaty between the countries when it attacked and destroyed three oil production complexes in the Persian Gulf in October 1987 and April 1988. The majority of judges ruled the attacks could not be justified as acts of self-defense.

But, by the same margin, the ICJ ruled against Iran on its claim that it deserved reparations from the U.S. for the platforms’ destruction. Iran argued it was entitled to compensation under the treaty’s provision for freedom of commerce between the two States.

However, the judges said the platforms destroyed in the first attack were being repaired and therefore not operational, while by the time of the second attack, the U.S. had imposed an embargo on crude oil trade with Iran.

The judges ruled 15-1 against the U.S. counter-claim that Iran had breached the same treaty when it attacked vessels in the Persian Gulf and engaged in certain military actions. The ICJ found that none of the ships alleged by the U.S. to have been damaged by Iran were engaged in commerce between the two States.