Iran Issues Arrest Warrant For Trump Over Qasem Soleimani Killing After Interpol Declines To Help

This week Iran has called for the arrest of President Donald Trump after issuing an official arrest warrant after being denied assistance from Interpol. The warrant is for the death of top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, and others including deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), at Baghdad International Airport during a drone strike ordered by President Trump. The warrant has further heightened tensions between the two countries since Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal.

PBS reported that local Tehran prosecutor, Ali Alqasimehr, says Trump was named with 35 other individuals around the involvement of the Jan. 3 drone strikes to be brought in on murder and terrorism charges. After Interpol received the request from authorities, the organization then said it would meet with a committee to discuss the matter. Algasimehr insisted to the local press that even after President Trump leaves office that they would still pursue the matter until he is brought to justice.

CNN reported that Interpol declined to assist with the matter saying it “would not consider requests of this nature.” The organization went on to say that “it is strictly forbidden for the organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.” The refusal means that Trump is in no immediate danger of getting arrest.ed

U.S. special representative of Iran, Brian Hook, dismissed reports of the arrest warrant announcement during a news conference in Saudi Arabia stating that“it’s a propaganda stunt that no one takes seriously and makes the Iranians look foolish.”

“Our assessment is that Interpol does not intervene and issue Red Notices that are based on a political nature,” Hook said according to Aljazeera. “This is a political nature. This has nothing to do with national security, international peace or promoting stability… It is a propaganda stunt that no-one takes seriously.”