Iran Wants Trump Arrested Over Killing Of Top General, Seeks Interpol Aid

Iran has issued an arrest warrant for President Donald Trump and 35 others for the killing on Jan. 3 of General Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the elite Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards

In a statement, Iranian prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said his country has issued a Red Notice with Interpol to seek help in Trump’s arrest.

“Political and military officials from the United States and other governments have been identified as being prosecuted by the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Alqasimehr said following a meeting with judicial officials.

He also said that they will pursue the prosecution of Trump, who was at the top of their list.

Iran was pursuing “murder and terrorism charges” against Trump and the co-accused. Alqasimehr has not identified the other individuals but stressed that they will pursue charges against Trump even after the end of his presidency.

A Red Notice is the highest-level notice issued by Interpol, which seeks the location and arrest of the individual named. The notice limits the travel of suspects and puts pressure on government leaders, but countries cannot be forced to arrest or extradite suspects.

Interpol is not expected to grant Iran’s request over its guidelines forbidding action on “any intervention or activities of a political nature.”

The arrest warrant is the latest escalation in the souring of relations between Iran and the U.S. after the latter withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. The deal restricted the Iranian government’s capability to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief from the United Nations.

The U.S. government under Trump as pushed for an extension of an arms embargo imposed by the U.N. against Iran.

The U.S. considered Soleimani the mastermind behind attacks on U.S. forces in the region through intermediaries backed by Iran.

Soleimani was killed when his two-vehicle convoy traveling through Baghdad was struck by three U.S. missiles.

In retaliation, Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases hosting American troops on Jan. 7.