Embassy Statement on the 2nd Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani
The targeting of the Iranian commander, though meeting with silence from many Western quarters, was obvious to everyone to be a major violation of international law and a threat to world peace. The UN, in July 2020, concluded in a report that Soleimani’s assassination was unlawful and arbitrary and violated the UN charter.
Embassy Statement on the 2nd Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani
Today, January 3, Iranians, man and woman, young and old, are taking part at multiple events across the country to mark the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani the then-commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
There have also been major events throughout the world expressing anger at the killing of Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and their companions.
Two years ago, on this day, an Iranian government official, on a diplomatic mission to the capital of a neighbouring state was unlawfully and extrajudicially assassinated on the orders of the sitting president of the USA, a permanent member of the UN security Council, charged with the prime responsibility of "maintaing international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations".
The targeting of the Iranian commander, though meeting with silence from many Western quarters, was obvious to everyone to be a major violation of international law and a threat to world peace. The UN, in July 2020, concluded in a report that Soleimani’s assassination was unlawful and arbitrary and violated the UN charter.
The drone attack was an extreme violation of Iraqi sovereignty, international law and human rights.
Qassem Soleimani was the hero and face of the fight and eventual defeat of ISIS in Iraq. While the Western coalition had withdrawn from Iraq and the Iraqi army was struggling to check the advance of ISIS thugs, rampaging across the nation committing unspeakable crimes, the Iraqi resistance forces, led by Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi colleagues, took on ISIS, pushing it back and preventing a total collapse and take-over of the country by one of the evil forces the world has ever seen.
Iraqi officials have confirmed time and again that General Soleimani, at the invitation of the Iraqi government, had provided counseling to the formation of the Iraqi resistance forces against ISIS.
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the interest of upholding international law, expects strong condemnation of the US for committing an act of terror and gross violation of international law, and take appropriate measures to hold accountable those responsible for this heinous crime.