In his recent “claim to fame” by being the target of a US airstrike and recent assassination ordered by President Trump, Qasem Soleimani took the world by storm. So, who was he really?

Directly after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Qasem Soleimani joined the Iranian Republican Guard (which is the main branch of their military). He would later fight for his country and rise through the ranks in the Republican Guard. Soleimani was appointed to the elite special operations force within the Republican Guard, the QUDS Force, which he would lead for decades. Soleimani was essential for Iran and their influence in the Syrian Civil War, in support of the Assad regime, and in which the U.S. Dept. of Defense had personally sanctioned him. Soleimani also worked tightly with terrorist organization, Hezbollah, in Southern Lebanon. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has described Soleimani as a “living martyr”. The Pentagon says Soleimani and his troops were “responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.”

WHAT IS THE QUDS FORCE

According to the New Yorker, “The force is the sharp instrument of Iranian foreign policy, roughly analogous to a combined C.I.A. and Special Forces.” The organization has been vital to Tehran (capital of Iran), forcefully enforcing the country’s foreign policy abroad. They have operated in Afghanistan, against the Taliban. Additionally, the Quds Force had plans foiled that intended to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. but also to bomb the Israeli and Saudi embassies in the United States. The Quds have had an extremely influential role in the Syrian Civil War, and pushing an anti-Israel agenda “vowing to reclaim Jerusalem.”

HOW DID HE GET SO CELEBRATED IN IRAN?

Soleimani had his claim to fame in the Iraq-Iran war, where he fought on the frontlines. After his service in the war, his efforts for Iran were noted, and he became the commander of the Quds. Then began his close relationship with Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader. He was later promoted again to Major General, and it has been said that Soleimani would often visit the families of his soldiers. His impact on Iran was enormous, despite being an enemy of the United States.