Iran issues Interpol arrest warrant for Trump over Soleimani killing as tensions rise

Authored by independent.co.uk and submitted by BumblesAZ

The Iranian government has filed a “red notice” with Interpol that requests the arrest of US president Donald Trump and 47 other American officials for the assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps major general Qassem Soleimani on 3 January 2020.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is very seriously following up on pursuing and punishing those who ordered and executed this crime,” said Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili as reported by Al Jazeera.

Interpol didn’t grant a previous arrest request by Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr, when he issued an international warrant in June for the arrest of Mr Trump and other officials at the Pentagon and US central command on “murder and terrorism charges”.

Rejecting the June request, Interpol said that its own constitution forbids it from taking on any "intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character”.

As Mr Trump leaves office on January 20, Iran hopes it will become easier to force him to face consequences for the killing of Mr Soleimani.

The chief justice of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, said: “Fortunately, Trump’s presidency has ended. But even if his term hadn’t ended, it would be unacceptable to say someone shouldn’t be accountable to law due to his administrative position.”

Mr Trump’s term ends on January 20.

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Ali Kadkhodaei, a spokesman for the Guardian Council which vets legislation and oversees elections in Iran, said that while it is difficult to pursue legal actions against Mr Trump while he’s head of state, “some international experts hold the view that after Trump’s presidency is over this might be possible".

Tensions have been rising between Iran and the US around the first anniversary of the death of Mr Soleimani.

The US has flown B-52 bombers over the Gulf on multiple occasions over the last month, and made the decision on Monday to keep a navy aircraft carrier in the area because of what it said was the increasing threat of Iran, Al Jazeera reported.

The Independent earlier reported that Iran has begun enriching uranium to 20 per cent purity, its most significant breach yet of the 2015 accord that placed limits on its nuclear technology programme.

Iran’s hardline Revolutionary Guard on Monday also seized control of a South Korean oil tanker in the Persian Gulf that it claimed had repeatedly violated “environmental protocols”, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The US later called on Iran to release the South Korean tanker that they seized in the Gulf.

LazyCookNxtdoor on January 5th, 2021 at 17:41 UTC »

Reminds me of when Mitch McConnell regretted overriding obamas veto, even after Obama gave a literal warning of the implications of what the bill was doing.

The topic of that Bill that McConnell forced into law to spite Obama?

The ability of foreign entities to sue the US government directly, specifically because 9/11.

The republicans must reap what they sow.

QuarentineToad on January 5th, 2021 at 17:14 UTC »

Membership at trump's Scottish golf course is surging. Lots of Iranians suddenly interested in playing golf.

gmredditt on January 5th, 2021 at 17:04 UTC »

What an elegant way to solve the "what to do about not-president Trump" problem: let Iran figure it out.