Iraq issues arrest warrant for Donald Trump over killing of General Soleimani hours after MAGA mob raids Capitol
IRAQ has issued an arrest warrant for Donald Trump over the killing of an Iranian general and a powerful Iraqi militia leader.
Just hours after hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, Baghdad issued an arrest warrant for a charge of premeditated murder over the killing of Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Soleimani and Al-Muhandis were killed in a US drone strike outside the capital’s airport in January last year.
Two missiles fired from a MQ9 Reaper drone struck Soleimani after he disembarked from an aircraft at Baghdad airport.
The strike was personally ordered by Trump, who later boasted it had taken out “two for the price of one”.
Soleimani, 62, spearheaded Iran’s military operations in the Middle East as head of the country’s elite Quds Force.
He was considered to be one of the most powerful figures in the country, masterminding Iranian intelligence and military operations abroad.
Al-Muhandis was the deputy leader of the state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces.
UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard described the killings as “arbitrary” and “illegal”.
The decision to issue the warrant for Trump’s arrest was made after the judge recorded the statements from the family of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Supreme Judicial Council said in a statement.
The charge of premeditated murder carries the death penalty on conviction.
The investigation into the killings is ongoing, the court said.
‘JUSTIFIED’
The Pentagon justified the assassination, saying Soleimani was “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region”.
The drone strike came days after protesters attacked the US embassy in Baghdad, clashing with US forces at the scene.
The Pentagon said Soleimani approved the attacks on the embassy.
Tensions hit an all time high after the strike – with many people fearing that a war is on the cards.
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei promised “harsh vengeance”, “jihad” and “crushing revenge” against 35 US targets they have pinpointed in the wake of General Qasem Soleimani death.
Trump responded to the Iranian threats, saying he will unleash $2trillion worth of new military equipment if US bases are targeted.
Searches for “World War 3” also spiked on Google within hours of the airstrike in Iraq.
Since the killings, Iran-backed groups have stepped up attacks against the American presence in Iraq, leading to threats by Washington to shutter its Baghdad diplomatic mission.
