The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the US' assassination of Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani one year ago as an "act of terror" and promised that Tehran will "not rest" until it brings the people responsible for it to justice.
By committing a craven act of terror against Gen Soleimani, the US violated int'l law & the UN Charter in a blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
— Iran Foreign Ministry 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) January 1, 2021
The US' lawlessness in full show.#Iran won't rest until bringing those responsible to justice.#WillNeverForgetWillNeverForgive pic.twitter.com/nUscWM2CDo
The ministry further stressed that the drone strike, which killed the general, is itself a blatant violation of international law, as well as the sovereignty of Iraq, where the attack was conducted.
Soleimani's Murder
The Foreign Ministry made its statement just two days before the first anniversary of Soleimani's death. He was killed on 3 January 2020 while leaving Baghdad International Airport, where he'd arrived on a secret diplomatic mission to convey a message to Saudi Arabia via the Iraqi authorities. Soleimani's car was hit with a targeted US drone strike, which had been ordered by President Donald Trump himself. POTUS and other US officials claimed they had evidence of Soleimani planning attacks against American embassies in the region, but failed to show it to the public.
The assassination was strongly condemned by Tehran, which vowed to retaliate for the death of its prominent general. Weeks later Iran carried out an airstrike against two Iraqi military bases, which hosted US troops. These attacks resulted in no fatalities, but caused minor injuries to several American servicemen. Iran, however, stated that its revenge for Soleimani's death was far from being over. The country intensified threats of retaliation in the weeks preceding the anniversary of the Quds Force's leader.
The drone strike that killed Soleimani was carried out by the US contingent in the region, which did not warn Iraqi authorities in advance that a strike on its territory would take place. The lack of prior warning or effort to seek approval from Baghdad for the hit sparked protest in the Iraqi parliament, which passed a non-binding resolution demanding the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq's territory.
