Iran blacklists nearly 60 US officials over Soleimani killing

Iranians lift national flags during a ceremony in the capital Tehran, on Jan 3, 2022, commemorating the second anniversary of the killing in Iraq of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani (portrait) and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a US raid. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

TEHRAN – Iranian foreign minister said on Sunday nearly 60 US officials have been blacklisted by Tehran for their involvement in the assassination of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

In a televised interview ahead of the third anniversary of the martyrdom of Soleimani, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said Iran is investigating the US assassination of the commander.

During a recent round of the Vienna talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, the Americans demanded the removal of their former officials from Iran's blacklist, Amir-Abdollahian said

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He stressed that the Americans and Westerners, however, are throwing a wrench into Iran's efforts to pursue the case legally, although Tehran has taken necessary measures.

During a recent round of the Vienna talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, the Americans demanded the removal of their former officials from Iran's blacklist, according to Amir-Abdollahian.

On Jan 3, 2020, the US military, at the order of then President Donald Trump, assassinated Soleimani and the deputy commander of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike near Baghdad International Airport. The assassination was condemned by Iran as "state terrorism".

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On Jan 8, Iran responded to the assassination by launching missiles at the US Ain al-Asad base in the Iraqi province of Anbar.