29th June, 2020
Iran has issued an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump and 35 others it believes carried out the drone strike that killed its top general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, a local prosecutor reportedly said Monday.
According to reports, Iran has asked Interpol for help in arresting all the culprits.
While Trump faces no danger of immediate arrest, Iran said he will be prosecuted at the end of his tenure in January.
“36 individuals who have been involved or ordered the assassination of Hajj Qassem, including the political and military officials of the US and other governments, have been identified and arrest warrants have been issued for them by the judiciary officials and red alerts have also been issued for them via the Interpol,” Prosecutor-General of Tehran Ali Alqasi Mehr said.
He said that the prosecuted individuals are accused of murder and terrorism, adding that US President Donald Trump stands at the top of the list and will be prosecuted as soon as he stands down presidency after his term ends
Ali Alqasi Mehr did not identify anyone else sought other than Trump, according to FARS News.
Interpol, based in Lyon, France, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ali Alqasi Mehr was quoted as saying that Iran 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.
Lieutenant General Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike on Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 3.
The airstrike also killed Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
The two were killed in a drone attack that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five Iranian and five Iraqi military men were also killed by the missiles fired by the US drone.