Gen. Soleimani, Commander Al-Muhandis ‘Heroes of Anti-Terror War’

“Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis and Haj Qassem Soleimani will always be heroes of the war against terrorism,” Rayeesi said on Tuesday, adding that Iran is pursuing the assassination of the Iranian and Iraqi commanders and the cowardly move will not go unanswered.

"As the Judiciary, we are responsible for all cases and we are also responsible for this specific case although there may not be a fair trial because of the hegemonic system," he noted.

Rayeesi blasted the US for targeting the symbol of Resistance in a crime that has violated all international regulations and the Iraqi territorial integrity.

In relevant remarks on Tuesday, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said the United States targeted Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani’s car with a bomb special for armored vehicles, adding that the bomb can pierce 30 centimeters into steel.

“This bomb that hit General Soleimani’s car can penetrate 30cm into steel. They used such a bomb and committed such a crime so as to shatter his body,” Major General Baqeri said.

“A foreign guest travelled to Iraq, carrying a message in response to the message of Saudi Arabia upon the Iraqi Prime Minister’s invitation,” Baqeri stated in a local ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday, referring to Martyr Soleimani’s visit to Baghdad.

He stressed that Martyr Soleimani entered Iraq onboard a civilian airliner in a public, clear and open trip.

Lieutenant General Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike on Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 3, 2020.

The airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.

Five Iranian and five Iraqi military men were martyred by the missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.

On January 8, 2020 and after the funeral ceremony of General Soleimani, the IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of General Soleimani.

Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army's central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.

The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of "Martyr Soleimani" reprisal operation.

Iraq said the attacks had not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone, including the Iraqi army.

The IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.

Meantime, Iran announced in late June that it had issued arrest warrants for 36 officials of the US and other countries who have been involved in the assassination of the martyred General Soleimani.

"36 individuals who have been involved or ordered the assassination of Hajj Qassem, including the political and military officials of the US and other governments, have been identified and arrest warrants have been issued for them by the judiciary officials and red alerts have also been issued for them via the Interpol," Alqasi Mehr said at the time.

He said that the prosecuted individuals are accused of murder and terrorist action, adding that US President Donald Trump stands at the top of the list and will be prosecuted as soon as he stands down presidency after his term ends.