Iranian FM: Our Hands Not Tied, To Bring Gen Soleimani’s Killers into Justice

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stressed that “The country continues to exhaust all available legal, political, and diplomatic channels to bring all those involved in the assassination of the country's top anti-terror commander, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, to justice.”

“[All] necessary measures have been taken in this regard,” Amir Abdollahian said in a Sunday interview.

He further mentioned “In addition to following all [available] legal channels, we have declared and registered then US administration's responsibility in the assassination through an official memo, and will follow up on our lawsuit through its own natural path.”

In parallel, Iran’s top diplomat added, “Unfortunately, both the Americans and [other] Western [countries are trying to] stonewall and obstruct the process of legal pursuit of the case.”

“The Islamic Republic's hands are not tied, though,” he asserted, noting that, in parallel to its legal efforts, the country is taking other punitive measures against those responsible for the assassination of General Soleimani.

Among these measures, Amir Abdollahian said, Iran has placed the names of 60 relevant American officials, who have had a hand in the assassination, on its terrorist blacklist.

According to the foreign minister, the latter measure hasn’t t sit well with the Americans, who have been demanding the Islamic Republic to take the names of those individuals out of the list.

“The American side has, through indirect channels, explained to the Islamic Republic that the blacklisting has prompted Washington to invest exorbitant expenses in ensuring those officials' safety both inside the United States and during their overseas' trips,” Amir Abdollahian said.

In addition, he said “Iran has, however, stood firm by its decision, calling the blacklisting a precise and correct measure,” noting that “We will follow up on this [measure] through political, legal and international channels, so these individuals will be brought to justice.”

Abdollahian reiterated that the Iranian Foreign Ministry would not spare any effort as it pursues the case of the assassination.