Iran says three countries in West Asia involved in assassination of General Qassem Soleimani

ByNews Desk- The Cradle

The government of Iran has vowed to bring to justice all individuals involved in the assassinations of the military commanders Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis

Protesters hold a portrait of General Soleimani during a demonstration in Tehran, Iran against his assassination by the United States on 3 January 2020. (Photo credit: Reuters)

On 29 December, Iranian authorities disclosed that three countries in the West Asia region were involved in the January 2020 assassination of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Brigade Commander Qassem Soleimani and the Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

The Deputy Head of the Judiciary of Iran, Kazem Gharibabadi, said an investigation conducted by Tehran revealed that a total of six countries were involved the assassination of the two top military commanders.

He said three of the countries involved are from West Asia, while the other three are from outside the region. He confirmed that all the countries that participated in the crime will soon be named.

According to Gharibabadi, the investigation has also identified more than 120 individuals who were involved in the assassination.

He pointed out that the majority of suspects are US citizens.

Gharibabadi explained that due to the fact that the “instigator of this terrorist act is the American [US] regime,” many of the accused in the case are also US citizens.

Former US president Donald Trump is one of the 120 individuals.

The judiciary of Iran has already prepared arrest warrants for 40 of the suspects, Gharibabadi said.

He also disclosed that members of the judiciary have been dispersed to at least nine countries to pursue the cases against the suspects, and that Iran and Iraq have set up a joint committee to look into the case.

Gharibabadi accused the international community of failing to speak out against the assassination. He said that the cooperation of both the international community and international law enforcement organizations, such as Interpol, is necessary to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Gharibabadi was speaking at an event to mark the second anniversary of the assassination of General Soleimani.

General Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and their companions were assassinated in a US drone attack on their convoy near Baghdad airport on 3 January 2020.

The two military commanders were instrumental in the defeat of the ISIS armed group in Iraq and Syria.