Following the militant expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in 2014, Soleimani
Qasem Soleimani
Qasem Soleimani is an Iranian Major General in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and since 1998 commander of its Quds Force—a division primarily responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations.
Kurds
Kurds are an Iranian ethnic group native to Western Asia. Geographically, this mostly mountainous area, known as Kurdistan includes southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria. There are also exclaves of Kurds in central Anatolia and Khorasan. Addition…
Shia Islam
Shia Islam is one of the two main branches of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor and the Imam after him, most notably at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but was prevented from the caliphate as a result of the incident of S…
Full Answer
Why did Qasem Soleimani go to Iraq?
We now know his trip likely had a secret component: coordinating an intensifying campaign of rocket strikes to maim and kill some of the 5,000 American troops based there. In Iraq, Soleimani had recently taken on a larger political role.
Is the US responsible for the assassination of Soleimani?
The US' act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani—THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation. The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.
What is Qasem Soleimani's assassination a sign of?
Soleimani's killing marks a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. Under his leadership, Iran had bolstered Hezbollah in Lebanon and other pro-Iranian militant groups, expanded its military presence in Iraq and Syria and orchestrated Syria's offensive against rebel groups in the country's long civil war.
Who is Iran's Esmail Qaani?
Gen Esmail Qaani, deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm, was named as Soleimani's successor by Ayatollah Khamenei. In Washington, members of President Trump's Republican Party welcomed the news. Top House Republican Kevin McCarthy said the strike had been a "display of resolve and strength".
Soleimani in Iraq
The current presence of Qassem Alì Soleimani, leader of the Al QudsForce of the “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” in Iraq is strategically significant.
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Why is it necessary to increase pressure on Haftar?
The political situation in Libya remains in deep crisis due to the actions of the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, aimed at aggravating the situation, analysts say.
What did Soleimani do after the invasion of Iraq?
invaded Iraq in 2003, Soleimani began supporting Shia militias in the country, which countered a growing Sunni insurgency and launched countless deadly attacks against American forces in the country. These fighters would later be deployed to fight ISIS in Syria.
What was Soleimani's role in the Iran-Iraq war?
When that war ended, he was tasked with taking on drug cartels and narcotics smugglers into Ir an, the report said. By the 1990s, his star was steadily rising, and he was appointed head of the IRGC’s Quds Force, an elite special forces unit specializing in terrorism and clandestine operations.
What happened to ISIS after it was driven from Iraq?
But once ISIS was driven from Iraq, the Iran-supported Shia militias continued to grow in power and influence. Just last year, Khamenei awarded Soleimani with Iran’s highest medal of honor. The military commander’s death will have far-reaching implications in the region.
What is Iran's role in Iraq?
In films such as Bitter Rivals and Iraq Uncovered, Iran’s role in training, organizing and funding powerful Shia militias in Iraq and elsewhere — a project organized and championed by Soleimani — has been a constant, deadly thread snaking through unrest in the region.
How many ISIS fighters were there in 2010?
Early in the last decade, as ISIS began its violent sweep across the Middle East, pro-Iranian militias in Iraq exploded with recruits, which rose from around 4,000 fighters in 2010 to an estimated 60,000 four years later.
Where was Soleimani born?
The report says Soleimani was born in 1957, and raised near the border of Afghanistan in the mountains of southeastern Iran. He worked as a construction worker and contractor in his youth, and became involved with Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1976.
What were the conditions of the American invasion of Iraq?
One condition of the Americans entering that war was that the Iraq government cut ties with the militias, and even when American forces entered the fray in late 2017, senior U.S. officials were wary of aligning with the groups.
How important was Soleimani to the IRGC?
Iraqi officials speak of his impeccable capacity to use a combination of charm, charisma and coercion to achieve IRGC objectives. But equally useful in his toolkit was his skill to settle disputes between and among factions . These personal characteristics were especially crucial for the IRGC. And today, the vast majority of the fighters that are deployed by Iran in the region do not possess the same history of friendship and camaraderie that Soleimani and other IRGC personnel shared with a very select group of commanders in the Arab world.
What is the Shiite militia network?
The Shiite militia network in Iraq is impressive. It is underpinned by an array of informal socio-political, cultural and security structures which emerged in the post-2003 chaos. The relationships between the main factions and their leaders—including men like Soleimani and Muhandis—have been historically tied through links of friendship, kinship and revolutionary camaraderie. Soleimani had been at the forefront of Iran’s effort to build and expand a proxy network, in part because he was head of the Quds Force since the 1990s but in large because of the personal relationships he had fostered with Arab commanders and political leaders who, like him, have been on the frontlines of the Iranian “export of revolution” since 1979.
What are Iran's proxies in Iraq?
Iran’s proxies in Iraq are the product of both history and sheer luck. Its country-wide network of combatants is comprised largely of impoverished Shiites—a demographic that has been on the margins of Iraqi society for centuries. These fighters gained increased prominence when Iraq emerged bankrupt and in ruins from two disastrous and costly wars. Saddam Hussein turned to religious leaders and tribes to maintain his rule over the country after the First Gulf War in 1990. That conflict followed Iraq’s devastating eight-year war with Iran, launched in 1980.
What happened to Soleimani and his convoy?
Soleimani and officials from Iran-backed militias were leaving Baghdad airport in two cars when they were hit by a US drone strike near a cargo area. The commander had reportedly flown in from Lebanon or Syria. Several missiles struck the convoy and at least seven people are believed to have died.
What did the Pentagon say about Qasem Soleimani?
The Pentagon statement said: "At the direction of the president, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani."
What was the US-Iran relations?
A brief history of US-Iran relations. A statement from the Pentagon - the headquarters of the US Department of Defense - said Soleimani had been "developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region". "This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans," it added.
What was the significance of the killing of Soleimani?
Soleimani's killing marks a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. Under his leadership, Iran had bolstered Hezbollah in Lebanon and other pro-Iranian militant groups, expanded its military presence in Iraq and Syria and orchestrated Syria's offensive against rebel groups in the country's long civil war.
Where was Soleimani killed?
He was killed at Baghdad airport, along with other Iran-backed militia figures, early on Friday in a strike ordered by US President Donald Trump. Mr Trump said the general was "directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions of people". Soleimani's killing marks a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Who is the second most powerful person in Iran?
Soleimani was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in Iran, behind the Ayatollah Khamenei. The Quds Force, an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, reported directly to the ayatollah and Soleimani was hailed as a heroic national figure. But the US has called the commander and the Quds Force terrorists ...
Who was the commander of Iran?
Iran's most powerful military commander, Gen Qasem Soleimani, has been killed by a US air strike in Iraq. The 62-year-old spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East as head of Iran's elite Quds Force. He was killed at Baghdad airport, along with other Iran-backed militia figures, early on Friday in a strike ordered by US President ...
What was Soleimani's role in the war?
Soleimani took part in most of the military operations during the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war. He also had a hand in leading and organizing various irregular warfare missions deep inside Iraq carried out by the Ramadan Headquarters.
What countries did Soleimani work with?
Its tentacles extended to the far reaches of the world in addition to Iran’s neighbors, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Tajikistan, and involved diplomatic as well as military affairs. Because of this, and contrary to customary diplomatic relations, Soleimani became the exclusive contact for negotiations with the United States on cooperation on ...
What was the role of the Quds Force leader in Iraq?
As indicated, the Quds Force leader's activities in Iraq have encompassed military and political affairs. He also provided both Sunni and Shiite militias the support they needed to fight US military forces in Iraq after the 2003 invasion.
Why was the 41st Division sent to Iran?
After the Shiite uprising was crushed in the early 1990s, the 41st Division, led by Soleimani, was sent to eastern Iran to suppress drug-smuggling gangs that had gained control of swaths of desert in Kerman, Sistan-Baluchestan and Khorasan provinces.
What war did Soleimani fight in?
After helping pacify Iranian Kurdistan, Soleimani moved on to the war with Iraq immediately after it erupted in 1980, serving as the leader of a military company, consisting of men from his hometown of Kerman whom he personally assembled and trained.
Why did Soleimani rise through the ranks?
He quickly rose through the ranks because of his role in the successful operations to take back land the Iraqi army had occupied in Khuzestan province. He eventually became the leader of the 41st Tharallah Division. Soleimani took part in most of the military operations during the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war.
Where is Qasem Soleimani?
Qasem Soleimani 's name can been found in several files in the Middle East, from Afghanistan to Palestine, going back more than 10 years. There is, however, very little detailed information on the life of this man or the nature of the enigmatic roles he plays in managing these files. Dexter Filkins' “ The Shadow Commander ,” published in ...
Where did Qassem Soleimani meet Iraqi Shi'ite allies?
(Reuters) - In mid-October, Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani met with his Iraqi Shi’ite militia allies at a villa on the banks of the Tigris River, looking across at the U.S. embassy complex in Baghdad.
Where did Soleimani come from?
White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien told reporters on Friday that Soleimani had just come from Damascus, “where he was planning attacks on American soldiers, airmen, Marines, sailors and against our diplomats.”. An official at the headquarters of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declined to comment.
What weapons did Soleimani order?
Two weeks before the October meeting, Soleimani ordered Iranian Revolutionary Guards to move more sophisticated weapons - such as Katyusha rockets and shoulder-fired missiles that could bring down helicopters - to Iraq through two border crossings, the militia commanders and Iraqi security sources told Reuters.
Why did Soleimani choose Kataib Hezbollah?
Soleimani picked Kataib Hezbollah to lead the attacks on U.S. forces in the region because it had the capability to use drones to scout targets for Katyusha rocket attacks , one of the militia commanders told Reuters. Among the weapons that Soleimani’s forces supplied to its Iraqi militia allies last fall was a drone Iran had developed that could elude radar systems, the militia commanders said.
Why did Kataib use drones?
Kataib Hezbollah used the drones to gather aerial footage of locations where U.S. troops were deployed, according to two Iraqi security officials who monitor the movements of militias.
How did Soleimani and Muhandis die?
Soleimani’s efforts ended up provoking the U.S. attack on Friday that killed him and Muhandis, marking a major escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran. The two men died in air strikes on their convoy at a Baghdad airport as they headed to the capital, dealing a major blow to the Islamic Republic and the Iraqi paramilitary groups it supports.
Who ordered Kataib Hezbollah?
He ordered Kataib Hezbollah - a force founded by Muhandis and trained in Iran - to direct the new plan, said the militia sources briefed on the meetings. Soleimani told them such a group “would be difficult to detect by the Americans,” one of the militia sources told Reuters.