Admired and reviled: How Soleimani was seen in the Middle East
5 years ago

Admired and reviled: How Soleimani was seen in the Middle East

Al Jazeera  

Experts say killing of Soleimani, a ‘strategist’ but ‘unpopular’ among many, will not affect how Quds Force functions. As head of the elite force for more than 20 years, Soleimani was a powerful figure in Iran’s strategic objective of defending its interests and expanding its influence across the Middle East. The Quds Force is the external branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operating in many countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. More recently, the Quds Force was behind the establishing of Iraqi militia group Popular Mobilisation Force which helped defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant in Iraq and Syria, also becoming a parallel large military force functioning in large part as an extension of Iran’s Quds Force. 200104091122122 “Soleimani’s death was a big blow but it was not a big blow to the system,” said Abas Aslani, a Tehran-based Iran analyst and journalist.

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History of this topic

Commander of Iran's Quds Force is 'in good health', force's deputy commander says
3 months ago

Commander of Iran's Quds Force is 'in good health', force's deputy commander says

The Hindu  

The top commander of Iran's Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, is in "good health", the force's deputy commander Iraj Masjedi said on Monday, after two Iranian security sources told Reuters he had been out of contact since strikes on Beirut last week. The Iranian Students' News Agency reported that a message from Mr. Qaani was conveyed to a conference in solidarity …

Iran's Quds Force chief out of contact since Beirut strikes, two Iranian officials say
3 months ago

Iran's Quds Force chief out of contact since Beirut strikes, two Iranian officials say

The Hindu  

Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, who travelled to Lebanon after the killing last month of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike, has not been heard from since strikes on Beirut late last week, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters. One of the officials said Mr. Qaani was in Beirut's southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, …

IRGC | Guardians of the revolution
8 months, 4 weeks ago

IRGC | Guardians of the revolution

The Hindu  

Gen. Mohammed Reza Zahedi was one of the top commanders of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. A veteran of the Iran-Iraq war and a former confidant of Qassem Soleimani, the Quds Force chief who was assassinated by the U.S. in Baghdad in January 2020, Gen. Zahedi was in charge of the IRGC’s operations …

Commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force is expanding predecessor’s vision of chaos in the Middle East
10 months ago

Commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force is expanding predecessor’s vision of chaos in the Middle East

New Indian Express  

Javed Ali, University of Michigan Most Americans have likely never heard of Esmail Ghaani, despite his fingerprints being over a slew of recent attacks on US targets. As the powerful chief of the Quds Force, the unconventional warfare wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Ghaani is charged with overseeing Tehran’s network of allied and proxy groups across the Middle …

Bombings hit event for Iran’s Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a shadowy figure slain in 2020 US drone strike
1 year ago

Bombings hit event for Iran’s Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a shadowy figure slain in 2020 US drone strike

Associated Press  

TEHRAN, Iran — For Iranians backing the country’s theocracy, whose icons since the Islamic Revolution have been stern-faced clergymen, Gen. Qassem Soleimani represented a popular figure of national resilience in the face of four decades of U.S. pressure. The warfront was the lost paradise of the human beings, indeed.” A U.S. drone strike killed Soleimani, 62, and others as they …

Who was Qasem Soleimani, top Iranian general once considered second most powerful in Iran after Khamenei?
1 year ago

Who was Qasem Soleimani, top Iranian general once considered second most powerful in Iran after Khamenei?

Hindustan Times  

Two rapid explosions near the burial site of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani resulted in the death of at least 103 individuals. Furthermore, the Quds Force played a coordinating role in Hezbollah's defense against Israel in the 2006 Lebanon War, with Soleimani personally involved in these operations. Soleimani, Iran's ‘shadow commander’ Referred to as Iran's ‘shadow commander,’ Soleimani, had been at …

Iran’s Quds Force should stay on US ‘terrorist’ list: Top general
2 years, 9 months ago

Iran’s Quds Force should stay on US ‘terrorist’ list: Top general

Al Jazeera  

General Mark Milley tells lawmakers it is his ‘personal opinion’ that the IRGC’s Quds Force should not be delisted. The United States’ top general has said he does not support removing Iran’s elite Quds Force from Washington’s list of “foreign terrorist organizations”, an apparent key demand from Tehran to revive the multilateral nuclear deal. Speaking to the Senate Armed Services …

A year without Soleimani: Will Iran retreat regionally?
4 years ago

A year without Soleimani: Will Iran retreat regionally?

Al Jazeera  

The assassination of Qassem Soleimani was one of several major setbacks for Iran in 2020. The year began with the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and architect of Iran’s regional power projection. In accordance with Soleimani’s will, Esmail Qaani, who was largely unknown to people inside and outside Iran, …

US killing of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani ‘unlawful’: UN expert
4 years, 6 months ago

US killing of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani ‘unlawful’: UN expert

Al Jazeera  

The US drone strike that killed Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani was “unlawful”, the United Nations expert on extrajudicial killings concluded in a report on Tuesday. “In light of the evidence that the US has provided to date, the targeting of General Soleimani, and the deaths of those accompanying him, constitute an arbitrary killing for which, under IHRL the US …

Iran general Qassem Soleimani killing by US drone 'unlawful', deems UN official
4 years, 6 months ago

Iran general Qassem Soleimani killing by US drone 'unlawful', deems UN official

ABC  

The January US drone strike in Iraq that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and nine other people represented a violation of international law, a UN human rights investigator said. Key points: UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard has called for accountability for the killing of Qassem Soleimani The US had accused Soleimani of masterminding attacks against its interests across the …

‘Perilous times’ for Iraq’s Shia militias after Soleimani killing
4 years, 11 months ago

‘Perilous times’ for Iraq’s Shia militias after Soleimani killing

Al Jazeera  

Baghdad, Iraq – On January 3, soon after Iranian General Qassem Soleimani left Baghdad airport in an armoured vehicle, a US drone fired rockets at his convoy, killing the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iraqis accompanying him. A fluent Farsi speaker who spent most of his adult life in Iran, al-Muhandis was the dominant administrator in …

EsmaiI Qaani: New ‘shadow commander’ of Iran’s Quds Force
4 years, 11 months ago

EsmaiI Qaani: New ‘shadow commander’ of Iran’s Quds Force

Al Jazeera  

Esmail Qaani is likely to pursue his predecessor’s policies with ‘greater vigour and ruthlessness’, say experts. Under Soleimani, dubbed Iran’s “shadow commander” by some media, the Quds Force helped boost Iranian influence across the Middle East by building up a vast network of proxies. ‘Loyal, committed’ Khamenei, announcing Qaani’s appointment on January 3, said the Quds Force’s new chief was …

Iran’s new Quds leader vows ‘manly’ revenge for Soleimani killing
4 years, 11 months ago

Iran’s new Quds leader vows ‘manly’ revenge for Soleimani killing

Al Jazeera  

Esmail Qaani says the US killed his predecessor ‘in a cowardly way’ as he promised to hit back ‘in a manly fashion’. The newly appointed commander of Iran‘s elite Quds Force said the United States killed his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani, “in a cowardly way” and promised to “hit his enemy in a manly fashion”. Khamenei, while announcing Qaani’s appointment on …

Hezbollah says payback for US strike has just begun
4 years, 11 months ago

Hezbollah says payback for US strike has just begun

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said Sunday that Iran’s missile attacks on two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces was only the start of the retaliation for America’s killing a top Iranian general in a drone strike. Hassan Nasrallah described Iran’s ballistic missile response as a “slap” to Washington, one that sent a message. The …

Despite Iran's retaliation, Qassem Soleimani presented more problems alive than dead
5 years ago

Despite Iran's retaliation, Qassem Soleimani presented more problems alive than dead

ABC  

Criticism of Donald Trump's brazen assassination of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani has rightly focussed on the unprecedented nature of the killing and the escalation in the conflict between the two countries it presents. In particular, the fear that Iran will unleash the vast empire of proxy paramilitaries Soleimani controlled, sending the region into a spiralling conflict of untold …

Iran declares all US forces terrorists after Qassem Soleimani killing
5 years ago

Iran declares all US forces terrorists after Qassem Soleimani killing

India Today  

Iran has designated all US forces "terrorists" after an American drone strike killed one of its most powerful figures, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, last week, AFP reports. #BREAKING Iran designates all US forces 'terrorists' for killing general pic.twitter.com/Y8mDEVRM1z AFP news agency January 7, 2020 Iran has vowed to avenge Soleimani's killing, and US President Donald Trump promised retaliation in the …

Iraq calls for foreign forces to leave amid backlash over Donald Trump-ordered killing of Qassem Soleimani
5 years ago

Iraq calls for foreign forces to leave amid backlash over Donald Trump-ordered killing of Qassem Soleimani

ABC  

Iraq's Parliament has called for US and other foreign military forces to leave amid a growing backlash against Washington's killing of a top Iranian military commander. Key points: Mr Trump has threatened to strike sites across Iran if it retaliates against the US Iran has summoned the Swiss envoy representing the US in Tehran over the threats World leaders have …

Hezbollah: US forces in Middle East to go home in coffins
5 years ago

Hezbollah: US forces in Middle East to go home in coffins

Live Mint  

Beirut: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Sunday the US military in the Middle East would pay the price for the killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, warning that US soldiers and officers would return home in coffins. "Fair punishment is the American military presence in the region: American military bases, American naval ships, every American officer and …

General Qassem Soleimani’s body arrives in Iran, day after he was killed in US drone strike; mourners flock Ahvaz streets to pay homage
5 years ago

General Qassem Soleimani’s body arrives in Iran, day after he was killed in US drone strike; mourners flock Ahvaz streets to pay homage

Firstpost  

Soleimani’s death on Friday in Iraq further heightens tensions between Tehran and Washington after months of trading attacks and threats that put the wider Middle East on edge Tehran: The body of General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike, arrived on Sunday in Iran to throngs of mourners, as President Donald Trump threatened to bomb 52 …

Iran general steps out of Soleimani’s shadow to lead proxies
5 years ago

Iran general steps out of Soleimani’s shadow to lead proxies

Associated Press  

TEHRAN, Iran — A new Iranian general has stepped out of the shadows to lead the country’s expeditionary Quds Force, becoming responsible for Tehran’s proxies across the Mideast as the Islamic Republic threatens the U.S. with “harsh revenge” for killing its previous head, Qassem Soleimani. “We are children of war,” Ghaani once said of his relationship with Soleimani, according to …

Hezbollah vows retaliation against US for Soleimani killing
5 years ago

Hezbollah vows retaliation against US for Soleimani killing

Al Jazeera  

Nasrallah’s stance, analysts say, begins a new period of escalation between Iran-backed militias and US forces. Direct confrontation Analysts say Nasrallah’s stance begins a new period of escalation and direct confrontation between Iran-backed militias in the region known as the “Resistance Axis” and the US military. “Its a moment of ‘you’ve declared war on us directly, not via Israel or …

The U.S. Considered Killing Qassem Soleimani Before. The Risks Were Too High.
5 years ago

The U.S. Considered Killing Qassem Soleimani Before. The Risks Were Too High.

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Donald Trump wants to be treated as a uniquely brave and patriotic president because of his decision to order a deadly U.S. strike against Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani on Friday. The same day, his reelection campaign released a video focused on the Trump administration’s killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in October — not explicitly …

Thousands gather in Baghdad for Iranian general Qassem Soleimani’s funeral; Quds force chief was architect in war against IS
5 years ago

Thousands gather in Baghdad for Iranian general Qassem Soleimani’s funeral; Quds force chief was architect in war against IS

Firstpost  

General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force and mastermind of its regional security strategy, was killed in US airstrike early on Friday Baghdad: Thousands of mourners gathered on Saturday for a funeral procession through Baghdad for Iran’s top general and militant leaders killed in a US airstrike. General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force …

Qassem Soleimani contributed to terror plots in India: Pres Donald Trump
5 years ago

Qassem Soleimani contributed to terror plots in India: Pres Donald Trump

Op India  

In a stunning revelation, the President of the United States, Donald Trump has alleged that the assassinated Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani was linked with terror plots in India. Trump reportedly said that Soleimani, who killed in US drone attacks, was involved in terror attacks as far away as New Delhi and London. Speaking to the reporters at Mar-a-Lago …

Who Is Qassem Soleimani, And Why Is His Death So Alarming?
5 years ago

Who Is Qassem Soleimani, And Why Is His Death So Alarming?

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The Pentagon confirmed Thursday night that the U.S. was responsible for killing one of the most powerful military figures in Iran and across the Middle East. Soleimani was the head of Iran’s Quds Force, an elite unit within the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that carries out high-level foreign operations across the Middle East and trains Shiite …

Opinion| What Soleimani’s death means for Iran, West Asia and the world
5 years ago

Opinion| What Soleimani’s death means for Iran, West Asia and the world

Hindustan Times  

On Friday, Iran’s notable military figure, Major General Qasem Soleimani of the state’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which operates under the direct auspices of the Ayatollah, was killed along with another senior commander in a United States air strike at Iraq’s Baghdad airport. Soleimani led the Quds Force, IRGC’s foreign operations wing, and was the architect of Iran’s expansions …

Analysis | The importance of Qasem Soleimani
5 years ago

Analysis | The importance of Qasem Soleimani

The Hindu  

Major General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. air strike in Baghdad on Friday, had an illustrious career as a spymaster and military strategist and a celebratory status in Iran. Always a defender of the Islamic revolution, Soleimani reported directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and, of late, was the main …

Qassem Soleimani: Pentagon confirms US has killed leader of Iran’s Quds Force
5 years ago

Qassem Soleimani: Pentagon confirms US has killed leader of Iran’s Quds Force

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Within an hour of news breaking that Soleimani, the …

Iran's Qassem Soleimani dead: Hard-liner top general stoked violence in Iraq, then mediated the conflict to stay indispensable
5 years ago

Iran's Qassem Soleimani dead: Hard-liner top general stoked violence in Iraq, then mediated the conflict to stay indispensable

Firstpost  

In July 2018, after President Donald Trump warned Iran’s president not to threaten the United States, a rejoinder came not from the Iranian leader but from a shadowy military figure perhaps just as powerful. Baghdad: In July 2018, after President Donald Trump warned Iran’s president not to threaten the United States, a rejoinder came not from the Iranian leader but …

Who was General Qasem Soleimani and why was he so popular?
5 years ago

Who was General Qasem Soleimani and why was he so popular?

The Hindu  

Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed Friday in a U.S. strike, was one of the most popular figures in Iran and seen as a deadly adversary by America and its allies. To his fans and enemies alike, Soleimani was the key architect of Iran's regional influence, leading the fight against jihadist forces and extending Iran's diplomatic heft in …

Iranian Commander Qassem Soleimani Assassinated By U.S. In Baghdad Airstrike
5 years ago

Iranian Commander Qassem Soleimani Assassinated By U.S. In Baghdad Airstrike

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a senior Iranian commander and one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East, was killed in an airstrike on the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq at the direction of President Donald Trump, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday. @SecPompeo says Iran's top military leader Qasem Soleimani was actively plotting in the Middle East and …

World reacts to US killing of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani in Iraq
5 years ago

World reacts to US killing of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani in Iraq

Al Jazeera  

Leaders across the world warn that US’s targeted killing of Iranian top general could ignite conflict in region. “The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.” Iraq Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned the attack, calling it an “aggression” on Iraq that would “spark a devastating war”. “The killing of Soleimani … was an adventurist …

Iran's General Qassem Soleimani killed in Baghdad airstrike
5 years ago

Iran's General Qassem Soleimani killed in Baghdad airstrike

India Today  

Gen Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, was killed in an air strike at Baghdad's international airport Friday, Iraqi television and three Iraqi officials said. The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, the officials said. Soleimani had been rumoured dead several times, including …

Qassem Soleimani's Enduring Legacy Across The Middle East
5 years ago

Qassem Soleimani's Enduring Legacy Across The Middle East

NPR  

Qassem Soleimani's Enduring Legacy Across The Middle East Enlarge this image toggle caption Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated Friday in Baghdad in a U.S. airstrike, was at once both the shadowy commander of covert Iranian forces and a revered celebrity in an anti-American alliance that crosses sectarian lines across the Middle East. Born in a poor …

General Soleimani had helped US upstage Taliban in Afghanistan post-9/11
5 years ago

General Soleimani had helped US upstage Taliban in Afghanistan post-9/11

India Today  

General Qassem Soleimani had an envious resume for a clandestine operative. Deaths of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Kataib Hezbollah - a constituent of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, comprising of 40 Shiite militia groups in Iraq - and the US's role behind the killings have been confirmed by both the US and Iran. Both came the US's …

Who was Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s IRGC’s Quds Force leader?
5 years ago

Who was Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s IRGC’s Quds Force leader?

Al Jazeera  

General Qassem Soleimani was killed alongside six others following a US air raid at Baghdad’s international airport. General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force has been killed early on Friday alongside several others following a US air raid at Baghdad’s international airport. Soleimani acquired celebrity status at home and abroad as leader of the …

Iran minister says Qassem Soleimani's killing foolish, former commander vows revenge on US
5 years ago

Iran minister says Qassem Soleimani's killing foolish, former commander vows revenge on US

India Today  

Soon after US confirmed the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, Iran foreign minister said the assassination is "extremely dangerous and a foolish escalation" of the tensions between the US and Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday the assassination of Iran Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani was "an extremely dangerous and foolish escalation." Iran's Revolutionary Guards …

Trump’s assassination of Soleimani: Five things to know
5 years ago

Trump’s assassination of Soleimani: Five things to know

Al Jazeera  

A simple explainer: Why did US kill Qassem Soleimani, how has Iran responded, and what might happen next? US-Iran tensions have peaked with the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, a 62-year-old who headed the foreign arm of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Iran’s elite military force. At the direction of US President Donald Trump, the US military killed Soleimani, head of …

Who was Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian commander killed by a US airstrike?
5 years ago

Who was Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian commander killed by a US airstrike?

CNN  

CNN — Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a US airstrike ordered by President Donald Trump at Baghdad International Airport on Friday, was hailed as a hero in Iran – brave, charismatic and beloved by the troops. “These are all the kind of things, looking at him from the enemy’s perspective, is going to create a great deal of angst …

Iran says it foiled a plot to kill Major General Qassem Soleimani
5 years, 3 months ago

Iran says it foiled a plot to kill Major General Qassem Soleimani

Al Jazeera  

Tehran says it arrested three people who were part of the alleged Arab-Israeli plan to kill the head of the Quds Force. A senior Iranian official says Tehran foiled a plot by Israeli and Arab spy agencies to assassinate Major General Qassem Soleimani, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. State-run media on Thursday quoted Hossein Taeb, IRGC’s …

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