U.S. International Responsibility for Martyrdom of Major General Soleimani

Drone airstrike in the territory of Iraq led to martyrdom of Major General Qasem Soleimani and nine of his companions. The present paper has collected the information through a library approach in order to answer the question of legal status of US action in the martyrdom of Major General Soleimani under international responsibility in violation of human rights obligations. This research is based on an assumption according to which US is responsible and the as a result, the related consequences can be sought under international law. Martyrdom of General Soleimani and his companions had been committed by US president direct order, according to his implicit statement. Therefore it is attributed to USA pursuant to article 4 of International law commission’s Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (ARSIWA 2001),  and has been regarded breach of international obligations of the state in question in the realm of treaty and customary of international human rights. As such, both attribution and breach of international obligation, as two elements of internationally wrongful act have been realized and USA is regarded responsible in accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of ARSIWA 2001. USA as the wrongdoer state must provide a valid and persuasive Assurance of non-repetition (Article 30(b) of ARSIWA 2001), must compensate and provide satisfaction (Articles 36 and 37 of ARSIWA 2001). Satisfaction and Assurance of non-repetition must be valid and real and, in this situation, complete withdrawal of US forces from the region in question and specially Iraq, may make it achievable.