TEHRAN – Iran has reiterated its commitment to pursuing legal action against the United States for the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, dismissing a Wall Street Journal report alleging that Iran has discussed how it’s going to avenge the commander’s martyrdom with authorities in Washington.

The Iranian mission to the UN stated that Iran has consistently pursued legal avenues to address General Soleimani's assassination, rejecting the WSJ report of a secret deal to de-escalate tensions as unsubstantiated.

The U.S. has repeatedly accused Iran of plotting assassinations of American officials in retaliation for the January 3, 2020, drone strike that martyred General Soleimani, Iraq commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and others. Iran's UN mission emphasized that it does not comment on the specifics of communications between the two countries but that its pursuit of justice in the General Soleimani case adheres to international law.

The statement follows Iran's June indictment of U.S. officials and its January demand for arbitration under the 1973 Protection of Diplomats Convention, citing the assassination as a violation of this anti-terrorism treaty.

General Soleimani spearheaded the fight against Daesh Terrorists in Iraq and Syria in the 2010s. He is widely known as a national hero inside Iran, with his funeral ceremony drawing millions of people to the streets across the country.