Iran issues arrest warrant for Donald Trump

Iran has issued an arrest warrant for US President Donald Trump and has asked Interpol for help in detaining him, according to PTI.

A local prosecutor reportedly said on Monday (June 29) that Iran has asked for help in detaining a few others as well, along with Trump, for carrying out the drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad.

While Trump faces no danger of arrest, the charges underscore the heightened tensions between Iran and the US, since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said that Trump and more than 30 others whom Iran accuses of involvement in the January 3 strike that killed the Iranina General.

Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad face ‘murder and terrorism charges’ reported the semiofficial ISNA news agency.

Alqasimehr did not identify anyone else sought other than Trump, but stressed that Iran would continue to pursue his prosecution even after his presidency ends.

Interpol, based in France, did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.
Alqasimehr also was quoted as saying that Iran requested a ‘red notice’ be put out for Trump and the others, which represents the highest level arrest request issued by Interpol.

Local authorities end up making the arrests on behalf of the country that request it. The notices cannot force countries to arrest or extradite suspects, but can put government leaders on the spot and limit suspects’ travel.

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After receiving a request, Interpol meets by committee and discusses whether or not to share the information with its member states. Interpol has no requirement for making any of the notices public, though some do get published on its website.

The US killed Soleimani, who oversaw the Revolutionary Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, and others in the January strike near Baghdad International Airport. It came after months of incidents raising tensions between the two countries and ultimately saw Iran retaliate with a ballistic missile strike targeting American troops in Iraq.

(With inputs from AP through PTI)