Qasem Soleimani: Holy Warrior Against US Imperialism, Zionism, and Takfiri Terrorism (2025)

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250102/qasem-soleimani-holy-warrior-against-us-imperialism-zionism-and-takfiri-terrorism-1121334897.html

Qasem Soleimani: Holy Warrior Against US Imperialism, Zionism, and Takfiri Terrorism

Sputnik International

At about 1 am local time on January 3, 2020, IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad’s International Airport. Five years on, the fruit of his labors, and the consequences of his murder, continue ripple across the Middle East. Here's why.

2025-01-02T12:34+0000

2025-01-02T12:53+0000

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qasem soleimani

middle east

israel

russia

islamic revolutionary guard corps (irgc)

quds force

zionism

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Joining the IRGC during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and rising through the ranks as a young commander through the bloody Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988, Soleimani took command of the IRGC’s elite foreign operations formation, the Quds Force, in 1998.Under Soleimani’s leadership, the Quds Force:Soleimani was also one of the conceptual fathers of the Axis of Resistance – a loose alliance of countries and militias battling US imperialism (colloquially known as "Global Arrogance"), Israel, and terrorism across the Middle East. In the ongoing regional conflict which began in October 2023, the informal coalition has bogged Israel and the US down in a costly seven-front war.Iran has also sought to pursue US officials using international judicial and legal venues, twice attempting to issue Interpol arrest warrants against Trump and others, in June 2020 and January 2021, respectively. Interpol refused to help, citing the case's "political" nature.In the immediate aftermath of Soleimani's death, Tehran also threatened to target US officials directly in a tit-for-tat, eye-for-an-eye manner, but gave up on the idea after failing to find any American commander or political leader of equal value.* Terrorist groups outlawed in Russia and many other countries.** An organization under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220618/live-in-fear-liar-soleimanis-daughter-blasts-pompeo-over-new-tale-on-why-us-murdered-her-dad-1096438271.html

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CC BY 4.0 / Unknown author / Qasem Soleimani Saying PrayerQasem Soleimani Saying Prayer in Imam Khomeini Hossainiah in Tehran

CC BY 4.0 / Unknown author / Qasem Soleimani Saying Prayer

Ilya Tsukanov

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Under Soleimani’s leadership, the Quds Force:

Took on al-Qaeda* and the Taliban** in Afghanistan, coordinating with Northern Alliance forces ahead of the US invasion.

Provided Hezbollah with material and guerilla war training assistance in the years leading up to the 2006 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which left the IDF with a bloody nose and forced it to sign a humiliating ceasefire.

Under Soleimani’s watch, Iran set aside religious and ideological difference with Gaza’s militias, with one senior Hamas rep saying the tunnel networks that have successfully bogged down Israeli forces after the 2023 invasion were in part Soleimani’s brainchild.

Took charge of Iran’s counterterrorism advise and support mission in Syria in 2012, with Soleimani personally lobbying Russia to intervene against ISIS* in 2015.

Coordinated and trained Iraq’s mostly Shia Popular Mobilization Forces militias, which played an instrumental role in the ground operations to crush ISIS. Quds Force advisers served alongside the PMF in frontline roles, with at least 13 killed in battle between 2014-2017.

Soleimani’s Quds Force has been widely credited with helping to free the Mideast’s Sunni and Shia communities from the scourge of Takfiri extremism, and saving minorities, from Christians and Kurds to Yazidis and Alawites, from physical extermination.

Soleimani was also one of the conceptual fathers of the Axis of Resistance – a loose alliance of countries and militias battling US imperialism (colloquially known as "Global Arrogance"), Israel, and terrorism across the Middle East. In the ongoing regional conflict which began in October 2023, the informal coalition has bogged Israel and the US down in a costly seven-front war.

Late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi holds up a photo of slain Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as he addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Iran has repeatedly vowed to bring Qasem Soleimani's killers to justice. In late 2023, a Tehran court ordered the US government and dozens of individuals and entities charged with conspiring to assassinate the Quds Force commander to pay nearly $50 billion in compensation for "material, moral and punitive damages" as part of a class action lawsuit. The court ruled Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the NSA, the CIA and 38 other individuals, organizations and entities responsible for Soleimani's death.

Iran has also sought to pursue US officials using international judicial and legal venues, twice attempting to issue Interpol arrest warrants against Trump and others, in June 2020 and January 2021, respectively. Interpol refused to help, citing the case's "political" nature.

In the immediate aftermath of Soleimani's death, Tehran also threatened to target US officials directly in a tit-for-tat, eye-for-an-eye manner, but gave up on the idea after failing to find any American commander or political leader of equal value.

‘Live in Fear Liar’: Soleimani’s Daughter Blasts Pompeo Over New Tale on Why US Murdered Her Dad

18 June 2022, 15:28 GMT

* Terrorist groups outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

** An organization under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.