Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump over Lt. Gen. Soleimani assassination
Iran has issued arrest warrant and red notice through Interpol for US President Donald Trump and dozens of others involved in the assassination of top Iranian general in Iraq, a local prosecutor said on Monday. Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasi-mehr said the arrest warrant has been issued for 36 people, including political and military officials of the United States and other countries, IRNA reported.
He noted that these people have been charged with “murder and terrorist crime”.
Alqasi-mehr did not identify anyone else sought other than Trump, but stressed that Iran would continue to pursue his prosecution even after his presidency ends.
The US assassinated Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ Quds Force, along with commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units Abu Mahdi al-muhandis, and eight other military forces in a drone attack near Baghdad International Airport on January 3.
The act of terror was carried out under the direction of Trump, with the Pentagon taking responsibility for the strike.
Interpol, based in Lyon, France, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to AP.
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.
Under a red notice, local authorities make the arrests on behalf of the country that requested it. The notices cannot force countries to arrest or extradite suspects, but can put government leaders on the spot and limit suspects’ travel.
The charges underscore the heightened tensions between Tehran and the Washington since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.