Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump over killing of Soleimani
- US killed Soleimani, who oversaw the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, and others in the January strike near Baghdad International Airport
- It followed months of rising tensions between the two countries. Iran retaliated with a ballistic missile strike targeting American troops in Iraq
Iran has issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol for help in detaining US President Donald Trump and dozens of others it believes carried out the US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad, a local prosecutor reportedly said on Monday.
Interpol later said it wouldn’t consider Iran’s request, meaning Trump faces no danger of arrest. However, the charges underscore the heightened tensions between Iran and the United States since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.
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.
Alqasimehr also 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 generally make the arrests on behalf of the country that requests 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.