Provisions of Lawsuits for Compensation for Oil Pollution by Ships Based on Iran and United States Laws: A Comparative Study

Considering that Iran has both oil and seawater, which is the route of transportation of oil tankers, the legal system of Iran has been discussed in this paper. Also, regulations related to prevention and dealing with pollution caused by oil tankers, regulations on how to compensate for damages caused by oil pollution, filing lawsuits, and how to receive compensation due to damages are examined with comparison to American laws. Regarding Iran's laws, it can be said that this country has not passed advanced regulations domestically and independently. However, due to the international aspect of these incidents, conventions have been formulated by international organizations, and by joining them, Iran has aligned itself with the international community in this field. However, since most of its states are surrounded by the sea and a lot of oil is transported through its ports, the United States enacted legislation in this field before the international community, and the history of its legislation dates back to ۱۹۲۴. With its strong domestic laws, the United States has not acceded to international conventions and still considers its national laws to govern these matters. Hence, the laws of this country and its performance be set as a model for other countries that are struggling with these issues.