TEHRAN- The Iranian Foreign Ministry has tendered the U.S. government with a second official notification, seeking arbitration for the 2020 U.S. drone strike that assassinated Iran’s top anti-terror commander, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad.

Declaring it on Monday, Tavakkol Habibzadeh, the head of center for Iranian President’s Legal and International Affairs, said that the second notice was written and sent after the United States failed to respond to the first one on holding negotiations.

The notification requesting arbitration was drafted in accordance with the Protection of Diplomats Convention, a 1973 United Nations anti-terrorism treaty aimed at preventing and punishing crimes against internationally protected individuals, including diplomatic agents.

According to Article 13 of the convention, the first notice seeking negotiation is delivered to the opposing party, and if it does not answer, the second letter requesting arbitration is issued.

According to the convention, if the Americans do not respond within six months of the date of the request for arbitration, the next step would be followed, which is to bring the matter to the International Court of Justice, he added.

Habibzadeh stated that the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued the second notification to the U.S. to request arbitration between Tehran and Washington approximately a month and a half ago, adding that the U.S. administration has until the end of April to react.

On January 3, 2020, a U.S. drone strike authorized by then-U.S. President Donald Trump assassinated General Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions near Baghdad International Airport.

Legislators in Iraq passed a bill two days after the assault mandating that the government remove all foreign forces, including those headed by the United States, from the nation.

Due to their crucial contributions to the battle against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in West Asia, notably in Iraq and Syria, both commanders were held in the highest regard throughout the region.

The IRGC launched a barrage of missile strikes against the U.S.-run Ain al-Asad facility in the western province of Anbar, Iraq, on January 8, 2020, in vengeance for General Soleimani’s assassination.

As per the Pentagon, the counterstrike on the base resulted in “traumatic brain injuries” for over 100 American soldiers. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic called the missile attack on Ain al-Assad a “first slap.”

During an afternoon meeting on Sunday with the family of Martyr Soleimani, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, stressed, "The fact that Martyr Soleimani's name, memory, and characteristics are becoming increasingly well-known is because of his sincerity."

He underscored that "Martyr Soleimani's most significant role and service was to revive the Resistance Front in the region."

The Leader of Islamic Revolution highlighted that Gaza's resistance in the past three months has been due to the existence of the Resistance Front. 

He stated, "Martyr Soleimani worked diligently to revitalize the Resistance Front, and he did this with sincerity, foresight, intellect, and moral behavior."

On Monday, a top Iranian Judiciary official announced the submission of the indictment related to the assassination of General Soleimani to the court.

Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, who heads a special committee formed to follow up on General Soleimani’s murder case from legal and international aspects, made the remarks while addressing a meeting delving into the legal aspects of the martyred commander’s terror carried out by the United States’ forces. 

The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Office of Political and International Studies.

Kadkhodaei stressed the national and international significance of the Martyr Soleimani, acknowledging the widely recognized brutal assassination of this prominent figure. 

Additionally, Kadkhodaei highlighted Martyr Soleimani's dedication to defending the oppressed people of the region, referencing the Leader of Islamic Revolution’s recent statement on the necessity of strengthening the spirit of Resistance Front in the region, with General Soleimani playing a pioneering role.

The member of Assembly of Experts affirmed that the actions of the martyr in the fight against terrorism were legitimate, emphasizing the inherent illegitimacy of assassination and criminal acts by the United States. “Consequently, the United States government must be held accountable,” he commented.