CAPE TOWN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Thursday welcomed the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which orders the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran do not affect humanitarian aid and civil aviation safety.

The ICJ, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, ordered the United States on Wednesday to remove any impediments to the free exportation to Iran of goods required for humanitarian assistance, as well as goods and services required for the safety of civil aviation.

Following its decision in May this year to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the United States reimposed sanctions against Iran which had been lifted as a result of the JCPOA.

"South Africa continues to maintain that the JCPOA, unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, was a major achievement for multilateral diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of conflict," the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said in a statement.

South Africa reiterates that the unravelling of the JCPOA could have unintended consequences for all parties involved and the broader international community, said the statement.

South Africa once again calls on all parties of the JCPOA to continue to honor their commitments under the agreement, DIRCO said.

South Africa has previously expressed its concern on the decision by the United States to withdraw from the JCPOA.