BAGHDAD — A judge in Baghdad has issued an arrest warrant for President Trump for the killing of an Iranian general and Iraqi militia leader last year.

The Washington-directed drone strike had killed Gen. Qassim Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis outside of the capital’s airport last January. 

Al-Muhandis was the deputy leader of the state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group composed of an array of militias, including Iran-backed groups, formed to fight ISIS.

Soleimani headed the expeditionary Quds force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The arrest warrant issued by a judge in Baghdad’s investigative court was for a charge of premeditated murder, which carries the death penalty on conviction.

It’s reportedly unlikely to be carried out. 

The Supreme Judicial Council said that the investigation into the killings is ongoing, but the decision to issue the warrant was made after the judge recorded the statements from the family of al-Muhandis.

In June 2020, Iran issued an arrest warrant for Trump over Soleimani’s death as well and had requested Interpol to assist.