Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump over drone strike that killed its top general [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Iran slaps a warrant of arrest against Trump, urges Interpol to post the notice.
• Along with other officials, Trump was charged in connection to the killing of a top general in Baghdad.
• While Iran can’t enforce the warrant against Trump and others, the move would put the leader in the spotlight and lead to travel sanctions.

On Monday, a prosecutor from Iran said the nation has issued U.S President Donald Trump an arrest warrant and called on Interpol to help to arrest the American head of state and other officials.

The supposed crime is concerning the drone strike that led to the death of a highly respected Iranian general in Baghdad.

While the move will not necessarily lead to Trump’s arrest, the charges emphasize the intensified conflicts between the U.S and Iran since Trump solely pulled out America from Tehran’s nuclear talks with the world superpowers.

State-operated IRNA news agency reported that Ali Alqasimehr, a Tehran prosecutor,  said Iran accuses Trump plus the other 30 more officials of murder and terrorism charges. They are all part of the January 3 precision strike that claimed Gen. Qassem Soleimani’s life in Baghdad, 

Alqasimehr did not name anybody else persecuted other than Trump but noted that Iran would continue to pursue him even after the end of his presidential term.

Interpol, which headquarters can be found in Lyon, France, has yet to comment on the matter.

Alqasimehr also commented that Iran proposed a red notice for Trump and his other co-accused, which also means that signifies the highest arrest level tag by Interpol.

Local law enforcement then should implement the arrest on behalf of the country that made the request.

While the local court decisions cannot force other nations to detain or extradite suspects, the move can place world leaders on the spot and limit suspects’ travel.

As a response to the request, Interpol will then hold a conference by the committee and deliberates if the details can be shared with its member countries.

Interpol is not required to post about its notices, although some of the cases were published on its official website.

It is highly unlikely Interpol would take up Iran’s demands, as its policy for notices prohibits it from interfering in politically driven concerns.

The U.S. eradicated Soleimani, who played a significant role in the Revolutionary Guard’s advanced Quds Force, and other efforts, through an airstrike in January near Baghdad International Airport. The incident was following months of events raising conflicts between the two nations, which finally led  Iran to counterattack with an air missile strike against American forces based in Iraq.

Source: AOL