Legal Aspects of Martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani by the United States in Iraq

During a military operation on Friday, January 3, 2020, the US government killed Major General Qassem Soleimani near the Baghdad Airport. The US Department of State announced that this operation has been conducted by the order of President Donald Trump. This act sparked a vast reaction at the international level. Specifically, the Iraqi government expressed its opposition regarding the operation on the territory of Iraq to the UN Security Council. The US operation in martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani is a gross violation of international law. According to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, this act is regarded as the crime of aggression and its perpetrators are prosecutable by International Criminal Court. In addition, the US action against martyr Qassem Soleimani violates the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Offenses against Internationally Protected Persons of 1973 dispute of the parties on which can be presented before the International Court of Justice. This article attempts to examine this incident in terms of international legal aspects through reviewing the analyses presented as regards it. While outlining the illegality of the United States' operation in martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani and his associates, available remedies will be suggested as well.