Judiciary spokesperson says Tehran has sent letters to nine countries asking them to take action against alleged culprits
Iran said Wednesday it intends to prosecute 127 people for alleged involvement or cooperation with the assassination of its Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani two years ago by the US administration of Donald Trump.
According to Fars News, which is run by the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a judiciary spokesperson said the country sent 11 letters to nine countries, asking them to take measures against the alleged culprits.
The spokesperson also said Iran and Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding related to the prosecutions. Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant were assassinated in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.
The report did not provide details on who were among the 127 individuals.
On Monday, as Tehran marked two years since the revered commander’s death, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi vowed revenge against Trump unless the former US president is tried over the killing.
Raisi, addressing Tehran’s largest prayer hall, said: “The aggressor and the main assassin, the then president of the United States, must face justice and retribution” alongside former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo “and other criminals.”
Tehran’s enemies were targeted on the day of the anniversary in unclaimed drone and cyber attacks — with two armed unmanned aerial vehicles intercepted by the US-led coalition in Iraq over Baghdad airport, and hackers attacking Israeli media sites.
Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, with links to armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza Strip, Syria and Yemen. The Quds force was able to wipe out ISIS from Iraq, rescue other regional countries such as Syria, Yemen from armed terrorist organisations.
The US-Israel led nighttime strike destroyed a convoy carrying Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy leader of the Hashed al-Shaabi coalition of pro-Iranian armed groups, and others.
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Iran responded days later by firing missiles at bases hosting US troops in Iraq. No one was killed but Washington said dozens suffered traumatic brain injuries.
Soleimani’s funeral drew millions, and his martyr’s portrait can now be seen on streets, in squares and on buildings from Tehran to southern Lebanon and Gaza.
Commemorations were held this year across Iran as well as at Baghdad airport, in the Iraqi Shiite holy city of Najaf, in Gaza City, and elsewhere.
