News / Politics

Iran parliament designates Pentagon, subsidiaries as terrorist over Soleimani assassination

Tuesday, 07 January 2020 7:37 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 07 January 2020 10:37 AM ]

Iranian lawmakers chant slogans against the US at a parliamentary session in Tehran on January 7, 2020. (Photo by Fars)

Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) has unanimously passed a motion designating the Pentagon and all subsidiaries terrorist after the US military assassinated Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, a senior Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commander, on President Donald Trump’s direct order.

All the 233 lawmakers present at an open session of the parliament on Tuesday unanimously adopted the triple-urgency motion, which amends an earlier law that labeled American forces based in West Asia — known as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) — as a terrorist organization.

The motion branded as terrorists all staff members of the Pentagon and subsidiary companies and institutions in addition to those who commanded and perpetrated General Soleimani’s assassination.

The amendment further urges the government to allocate 200 million euros from the National Development Fund of Iran to the IRGC’s Quds Force, now led by Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani following General Soleimani’s martyrdom.

The initial version of the law was passed in April 2019 as a counter-measure against Washington’s blacklisting of the IRGC.

An introduction to the motion said the amendments were proposed “given the need for firm and swift action on the part of the government and the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran [following] the unwise and shameful move by the criminal US to martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.”

Trump ordered a US drone strike early Friday on General Soleimani’s motorcade upon his arrival in the Iraqi capital at the invitation of the Baghdad government.

The attack also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), as well as eight other Iranian and Iraqi people.

The measure became immediately binding as it received approval from members of the Guardian Council of the Constitution, who were present at the session given the triple-urgency of the motion.

Following the vote, the lawmakers chanted ‘Death to America’ and called for revenge against the US.

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