In the name of the Almighty,
Before anything else, I give my appreciation to the Science and Research Institute “Ibn Sina” in Sarajevo, which enabled us to commemorate the anniversary of General Qasem Soleimani’s assassination, and to review the international aspects of this event in a scientific and academic atmosphere. For as much as we shed light on this event, it will make sure that governments and individuals prone to such actions, for the realisation of their own goals, to say the least, become more than before exposed to the pressure and, instead of adhering to murders and terrorism, to turn their gaze towards negotiating and diplomacy.
These days, the anniversary of Qasem Soleimani’s assassination will take place, as he was a high-ranking, Iranian, military official. The assassination attempt committed over this military commander, which was perpetuated by the USA, and under the direct orders of the US president, was denounced last year by particular individuals, independent personae and governments of many countries. It is not my intention to speak of the personality of General Soleimani, rather I will reflect on that which has happened so that the causes and motives of this American undertaking would become clearer.
We consider the Islamic Republic of Iran as the regional force which leads its own, independent, foreign politics which has its people’s support. These are three very important categories in assessing Iran’s position.
- Iran is a regional force: During the last years, Iran has shown that no event can occur in the region without consulting the Iranian position first. Years-long Syrian crisis and the establishment of the DAEISH government in some parts of Syria and Iraq, and then the influence of Iran to change the result of this game is clear to everybody.
- Iran is independent: Decisions made concerning the foreign policy, Iran makes on the basis of its needs and national aims, in terms of decision-making, Iran does not consult any other state or global force, regardless of the fact that this independence and free will carries its price and it also carries great problems and difficulties for Iran, but Iran has remained consistent to this course so far.
- The support of the people: The Iranian government is a government established by the people’s will and we are proud of the fact that that its steps enjoy the national support and the support of the people. The funeral of General Soleimani during the time when economy issues arose from one-sided American sanctions, which led to the people’s dissatisfaction, showed that such a nation was unanimous in defending its country. This was an introduction to the topic I want to address, and that is the assassination attempt on Iran as a country.
We do not perceive assassination and terrorist attack as a mere act of military strength. The terror holds different aspects; political terror, economic terror, scientific and technological terror, cultural terror, terror over scientific experts. We have found ourselves for four decades under the worst of economic, science and technology, cultural and military sanctions. In all this turmoil, there was the eight-year war destroyed and damaged a huge portion of infrastructure (war terror). Serious sanctions were levied against us in order to stop us from importing developed technological goods so that we could not use new technology, in order to stop our country from progressing (science and technology terror).
Major forces threatened the smaller countries, to those mildly developed ones and even to large forces (the European countries) that they should not interfere with Iran in order to leave Iran isolated and on its knees. And in return to stop their connection with Iran they were rewarded wealthily and provided aid (political terror). Iran is one of cultural and civilisation-wise richest countries. The global forces did everything in their power to stop Iran from presenting their rich, cultural and civilisation-based treasury to the world. In their extensive media propaganda, they tried to render Iran as an extremist and backward country, so that even admirers of culture, literature and civilisation would be swayed from coming to this land (cultural terror). They brought wide economic sanctions against Iran in order to topple the economy of Iran and to use the dissatisfaction of people to remove the Iranian government. The United States explicitly and continuously insisted upon this.
Trump himself, as well as his State Secretary, openly proclaimed that they were inducing policy of the utmost pressure on Iran in order to bend Iran. They managed to stop many economic connections of Iran with the outside world, especially within the financial and bank sector (economic terror).
Iran has not waged war with the United States and Iran is not in war with this country, however the US and their close allied declared war on Iran, but since they have no possibility of military operation, they applied terror as the means by which they would defeat Iran.
The terror truly represents one aspect of war or operation based on feebleness. America and her government allies, being unable to defeat Iran on the battlefield, for reasons I mentioned in the beginning, started using various forms of terror.
The final aspect of terror imposed on Iran which I want to tackle is the planned state terrorism against the prominent persons. The American president openly admitted that he had issued the order to execute General Soleimani and that he took great pride in it. The preparatory actions for this attack, as well as its execution, all perpetuate various questions. From which country was the drone sent which executed the assassination of General Soleimani; did the government of that country allow the drone’s flight or not; the fact that it was all committed on the Iraqi soil and that the Iraqi government was not asked for permission, as well as numerous other questions, all of that from the perspective of international law and international relations perpetuates questions and protests. The fact is that, albeit there is no war between Iran and the USA, the American government issued the assassination of a high-ranking Iranian military commander and on the territories of a third-party country. And it is a question which has to be prosecuted and judged before the International Court.
We could say a lot about the personality of General Soleimani. However, in this brief period, I will point out just a few things. He was a person who played the key role in destroying the violent and occupational government of DAEISH within Syria and Iraq. There is a question arising now, was there some institutional relations between DEAISH and the US that American was forced to kill the person who destroyed DAEISH?
In our opinion, the murder of General Soleimani represents a categorical move of state terrorism, it should be prosecuted and judged before the international representatives of law. And, of course, this will forever remain a black stain within the files of governing the US.
During four decades, Iran was the victim of various terror forms. In the first year, after the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, terrorists connected to foreigners in the terrorist act of planting a bomb killed about 70 high-ranking state officials, and that has, as you can see, continued all the way to General Soleimani, and the last such case happened not a month ago, when the assassination was committed on the prominent Iranian scientist, General Fakhri. The fact is that Iran still stands firm and true after such blows and acts of terror, and still lasts and prospers in scientific and technological and military terms, and that should not be a barrier to stop prosecuting the terrorists who committed this terror over Iran. Iran is strong and it stands true, but the criminals need to be prosecuted and sentenced for their wrong-doings. That task falls upon the International Community, to abolish methodologies of control based on terrorism.
I thank you for your attention and patience in listening to my lecture.