Iran accuses Brit security firm G4S of helping to assassinate General Soleimani by giving his location to US forces
IRAN has bizarrely accused security firm G4S of helping US forces to assassinate General Qasem Soleimani by leaking information about the military commander – an allegation the company strongly denies.
Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasi-Mehr wildly claimed G4S handed information to US forces that led to General Soleimani being killed in a targeted drone strike, reports Press TV.
A spokesman for G4S told The Sun Online the allegation is “completely unfounded” and it had “absolutely no involvement” in the assassination.
Iran is ramping up rhetoric over the killing as the first anniversary of his death approaches, with the regime claiming it has a list of 48 parties involved in the assassination.
The leader of the Quds Force anti-terror division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) was assassinated along with Iraqi military commander Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis in the strike at Baghdad International Airport on January 3.
Judicial official Alqasi-Mehr said the role of G4S in the assassination was one of the “important and significant issues in this case” during a legal and judicial follow-up session into General Soleimani’s death.
“One of the important and significant issues in this case is the role of the British company G4S in the assassination of the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC),” he said.
“[G4S] was responsible for flight securing at Baghdad airport, and the agents of that company provided information to the terrorists about General Soleimani and his companions upon their arrival.”
He added that a US air base in Germany was also involved in the exchange of information among American drones in the assassination of General Soleimani.
A G4S spokesperson said: “In response to recent, completely unfounded speculation, G4S wishes to make clear that it had absolutely no involvement in the attack on Qasem Soleimani and Abu-Mahdi al-Muhandis which took place on 3rd January 2020.”
British multinational company G4S – one of the world’s largest security groups – has sent staff throughout Middle East locations, including Afghanistan where British war veteran Luke Griffin was killed in 2018.
G4S had absolutely no involvement in the attack on Qasem Soleimani
Spokesperson
Following the death of General Soleimani, millions of Iranians took to the streets to mourn his death.
The air strike was seen as being extremely inflammatory in already frosty relations between the US and Iran.
Tensions flared further amid fears that Trump could strike Iran before he leaves office on January 20
Last week, the US president took to Twitter to issue a threat to Iran after the US embassy in Baghdad was targeted by rockets on December 20.
“Guess where they were from: IRAN. Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq,” the president wrote, alongside a photo of the three rockets.
“Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over.”
The comments about G4S from the judicial official come as Iranian president Hassan Rouhani claimed the general’s death had led to the ‘downfall’ of US president Donald Trump.
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During a televised session of the Iranian cabinet, Rouhani said the “foolish” assassination of the head of a clandestine division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps helped bring about an end to ‘Trumpism’, reported Al Manar.
Iran has already issued an arrest warrant for Donald Trump over the killing of top general Soleimani.
The shock move came in June, nearly six months after the general’s death, as prosecutor Al Qasi-Mehr revealed Trump and 35 others are facing “murder” and “terrorism charges”.