Iran’s judiciary announced the preparation of 800 judicial correspondences related to the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Mohammad Mosaddaq, the first deputy of the Iranian Judiciary Authority, revealed that the judiciary has issued summonses and indictment lists for 73 Americans, implicated in the assassination of Soleimani. Highlighting the depth of the investigation, Mosaddaq cited the collection of approximately 12,000 pages of legal documents, organized into 60 volumes, according to Iran’s Tasnim agency.
Further amplifying the already heightened tensions, Mosaddaq confirmed the identification of 97 suspects, with former US President Donald Trump being explicitly named as the one who “clearly ordered this terrorist attack” and is slated to face trial as a key instigator.
The Iranian judicial authority hinted at extensive international collaborations, noting that separate judicial cooperation requests have been dispatched to nine countries that might have played roles in orchestrating the said terrorist act. Several responses, possibly shedding more light on the situation, have already been received.
Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to seeking justice for the slain Quds Force commander during his speech at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, stating, as quoted by Iran’s Fars agency, that “Iran will not forget Soleimani’s martyrdom and will continue to hold those responsible accountable.”
Last week, Iran’s Foreign Ministry hinted at revealing the investigation results on Soleimani and his associates’ assassination next month. Abbas Ali Kadkhodaee, advisor to the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated that several suspects have been identified, awaiting court ratification.
Background: The U.S. military executed the high-profile assassination of Qasem Soleimani in a missile strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. This operation, which also claimed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Deputy Head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, ignited a diplomatic firestorm and heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. In retaliation, Iran launched missile attacks on the Ain Al-Asad base, the largest American base in Iraq. U.S. forces in Iraq also faced a spate of attacks by Iran-backed Iraqi groups, the most recent being in December, targeting Baghdad’s Green Zone, home to the U.S. embassy and other significant international entities.
