Over Terrorist Assassination of Gen. Soleimani:
Iran Issues Arrest Warrant for Trump, Others
TEHRAN (Dispatches) — Iran has issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol for help in detaining President Donald Trump and dozens of others for assassinating top general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, a local prosecutor said Monday.
Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said Trump and others involved in the Jan. 3 assassination face "murder and terrorism charges”.
Alqasimehr did not identify anyone else sought other than Trump, but stressed that Iran would continue to pursue his prosecution even after his presidency ends.
"At the top of the list is U.S. President Donald Trump, and his prosecution will be pursued even after the end of his term in office.”
Iran, he said, requested a "red notice” be put out for Trump and the others, which represents the highest level arrest request issued by Interpol. Local authorities end up making the arrests on behalf of the country that request it. The notices cannot force countries to arrest or extradite suspects, but can put government leaders on the spot and limit suspects’ travel.
After receiving a request, Interpol meets by committee and discusses whether or not to share the information with its member states. Interpol has no requirement for making any of the notices public, though some do get published on its website.
The U.S. assassinated General Soleimani, who oversaw Iran’s Quds Force, and others in a January drone strike near Baghdad International Airport. It saw Iran respond with a ballistic missile strike targeting American troops in Iraq.
General Soleimani was viewed as a key figure in defeating Daesh, the world’s most notorious terrorist group, in the Middle East.
Several million people attended funeral processions held for him and his companions in the Iraqi cities of Kadhimiya, Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf as well as the Iranian cities of Ahvaz, Mashhad, Tehran, Qom and Kerman.
NBC News has revealed that the details of the assassination, saying the terrorist operation used Israeli intelligence and was run from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Qatar.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Mohsen Baharvand said Monday that about 40 people have been identified in connection with the assassination.
"Our intelligence and security agencies have so far identified about 40 Americans, who have been one way or another involved in this assassination through issuing order or facilitation of the process. A number of other people, including some American drone operators, have are not known yet, but will be identified in the near future,” he said.
After the rest of Americans and non-Americans involved in the assassination are identified, "the judge will indict them on the basis of undeniable evidence and the Islamic establishment in its entirety will not stop until they are brought to justice,” he said.
"Since this has been a crime against our national sovereignty and security, the government of the United States and those countries whose territories were used to commit this crime are internationally liable, and must be held to account for their move, which contravenes international law, and we will follow up on this issue in various international forums and organizations,” Baharvand added.
Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said Trump and others involved in the Jan. 3 assassination face "murder and terrorism charges”.
Alqasimehr did not identify anyone else sought other than Trump, but stressed that Iran would continue to pursue his prosecution even after his presidency ends.
"At the top of the list is U.S. President Donald Trump, and his prosecution will be pursued even after the end of his term in office.”
Iran, he said, requested a "red notice” be put out for Trump and the others, which represents the highest level arrest request issued by Interpol. Local authorities end up making the arrests on behalf of the country that request it. The notices cannot force countries to arrest or extradite suspects, but can put government leaders on the spot and limit suspects’ travel.
After receiving a request, Interpol meets by committee and discusses whether or not to share the information with its member states. Interpol has no requirement for making any of the notices public, though some do get published on its website.
The U.S. assassinated General Soleimani, who oversaw Iran’s Quds Force, and others in a January drone strike near Baghdad International Airport. It saw Iran respond with a ballistic missile strike targeting American troops in Iraq.
General Soleimani was viewed as a key figure in defeating Daesh, the world’s most notorious terrorist group, in the Middle East.
Several million people attended funeral processions held for him and his companions in the Iraqi cities of Kadhimiya, Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf as well as the Iranian cities of Ahvaz, Mashhad, Tehran, Qom and Kerman.
NBC News has revealed that the details of the assassination, saying the terrorist operation used Israeli intelligence and was run from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Qatar.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Mohsen Baharvand said Monday that about 40 people have been identified in connection with the assassination.
"Our intelligence and security agencies have so far identified about 40 Americans, who have been one way or another involved in this assassination through issuing order or facilitation of the process. A number of other people, including some American drone operators, have are not known yet, but will be identified in the near future,” he said.
After the rest of Americans and non-Americans involved in the assassination are identified, "the judge will indict them on the basis of undeniable evidence and the Islamic establishment in its entirety will not stop until they are brought to justice,” he said.
"Since this has been a crime against our national sovereignty and security, the government of the United States and those countries whose territories were used to commit this crime are internationally liable, and must be held to account for their move, which contravenes international law, and we will follow up on this issue in various international forums and organizations,” Baharvand added.