Iran in Second Official Notice to US Seeks Arbitration over General Soleimani Assassination Dossier

The Iranian Foreign Ministry in a second official notice to the US administration sought arbitration over the 2020 assassination of Iran’s top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike near the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Head of the Center for Iranian President’s Legal and International Affairs Tavakkol Habibzadeh made the announcement on Monday.

He said the second notice was written and sent after the United States failed to respond to the first one on holding negotiations.

The notice demanding arbitration was written based on the Protection of Diplomats Convention, a 1973 United Nations anti-terrorism treaty on the prevention and punishment of crimes against internationally protected persons, including diplomatic agents.

According to Article 13 of the convention, Habibzadeh said the first notice seeking negotiation is sent to the other party and if it does not respond to it, the second memo is sent to request arbitration.

“As per the convention, if no response is provided by the Americans within six months from the date of the request for arbitration, the third step will be taken that is referring the dispute to the International Court of Justice,” he further explained.

Nearly one month and a half ago, the Iranian Foreign Ministry sent the second notice to the United States to request arbitration between Tehran and Washington, and the US administration has until the end of April to respond to it.

Lieutenant General Soleimani, his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s PMU, and ten of their deputies were martyred by an armed drone strike that was directly ordered by the White House as their convoy left Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.

Both commanders were highly revered across the Middle East because of their key role in fighting the Daesh (also known as ISIL or ISIS) Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized that Tehran will certainly take revenge from the masterminds and perpetrators of the terror attack on the anti-terror icon. Tehran stresses Americans and Zionists rest assured that it is serious about revenge for the assassination of Martyr Soleimani, and they continue to live under the shadow of Iran’s reprisal since they don’t know when and where they come under attack.

On January, 8 2020, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted the US-run Ein Al-Assad in Iraq’s Western province of Al-Anbar by launching a volley of missiles in retaliation. According to the Pentagon, at least 110 American forces suffered “traumatic brain injuries” during the counterstrike on the base. Iran has described the missile attack as a “first slap”.

Iran has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for all perpetrators and masterminds of the assassination of Lieut. Gen. Soleimani. Tehran has also identified dozens of people in connection with the targeted terror attack and that includes Trump, Pentagon officials and American forces in the region. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also declared sanctions against several persons – including Trump, Pompeo and former National Security Advisor John Bolton – who have ordered, perpetrated or cooperated in the assassination of Lieutenant General Soleimani.

Back in May,Tehran’s Prosecutor General Ali Salehi issued arrest warrants for dozens of former and present US officials, including Trump, Pompeo and former Head of the CENTCOM General Kenneth Franklin McKenzie for their involvement in the assassination of the anti-terror hero.