2024-01-03 21:32:31
Reproduction/Newspaper Option – 01/19/2020
The Iranian general was head of the Revolutionary Guard’s al-Quds Force between 1998 and 2020
This Wednesday (03), a procession was held to mark the four years since the death of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, killed in 2020 by United States forces, during a drone attack. The march ended in tragedy, after two bombs exploded near the soldier’s burial site, leaving at least 103 dead and 141 injured in the city of Kerman, in southern Iran.
The information was provided by Iranian news reports, which classify the attack as terrorist, although so far no group has claimed responsibility.
Qassem Soleimani
Born in 1957, in Qanat-e Malek, in Southeast Iran, Soleimani moved to Kerman when he was still young. He worked during his teenage years in construction, joining the newly created Revolutionary Guards after the Iranian Revolution. He commanded the 41st Division during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), where he participated in the conflict’s most prominent operations, with the aim of defending the country’s eastern border.
Known as the “shadow commander” of the Persian country, Soleimani was one of the most powerful men in Iran. He was head of the Revolutionary Guards’ al-Quds Force between 1998 and 2020. The division is an elite unit of the ideological Army of the Islamic Republic, responsible for taking care of the country’s operations abroad. The United States, however, classified the organization as terrorist.
During Soleimani’s leadership, the al-Quds Force established alliances, which allowed it to operate in different regions of the Middle East. Iran began providing financial support for the military training of soldiers, the Houthis in Yemen. The general was in charge of negotiations with local leaders, going to the fields to train and fight alongside the militias.
Soleimani was seen as a charismatic and evasive man, being the target of myths and memes on social media. He ended up becoming a more popular figure in the last years of his life, earning documentaries, reports and even pop songs.
He was considered a war hero and a key player in the security apparatus, as he worked in a security apparatus that prevented direct action by foreign powers against Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s top leader, described him as a “living martyr” .
On January 3, 2020, at the age of 62, Soleimani was killed as he left Baghdad airport, along with members of an armed Iraqi militia that was an ally of Iran. The drone bombing was ordered by the then president of the United States. , Donald Trump.
Soleimani’s death reportedly occurred after protesters stormed the United States embassy in Baghdad, clashing with local American forces. According to the Pentagon at the time, the Iranian leader approved the attack.
The general’s death led to an increase in tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised “severe revenge” against the “criminals” responsible. The American government was ordered by an Iranian court to pay $50 billion in damages caused by the death of the general, who was the key piece in the local security apparatus.
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