Iran has selected Lebanon, in addition to 5 other countries, to represent its legal stance regarding the assassination of its top general, Qassem Soleimani, by the U.S. earlier this year.
Tehran Prosecutor-General Ali Alqasi-Mehr said that his country had chosen Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan, and Kuwait to represent it through international legal channels to follow the case, the Iranian state-run ISNA reported on Wednesday.
The move comes nearly a year after incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump ordered Soleimani’s assassination, heightening U.S.-Iran tensions and provoking an Iranian attack on Ain Al-Assad Airbase in western Iraq, on January 8th, as part of its promised retaliation.
Photo: Alexander Tahaov for NPR
Iran has since issued arrest warrants and Interpol Red Notices for President Trump and 35 other people that were allegedly involved in directing the drone strike that killed Soleimani.
Notably, Alqasi-Mehr has pointed out the role that the U.S. airbase in Germany allegedly played in directing the attack.
In light of that, the head of the Iranian Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights requested Germany’s cooperation for reaching the alleged perpetrators.
In a Thursday press conference, Alqasi-Mehr also alleged the involvement of G4S, a London-based security services company, in the killing of Iran’s top military commander.
Tensions have been simmering in the Middle East as the anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination nears.