On the eve of the third anniversary marking the death of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei affirmed that the gap left behind by his passing was largely filled.
Khamenei met with Soleimani’s family, Revolutionary Guards Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, and Soleimani's successor, Ismail Qaani.
In his speech, Khamenei used the term “resistance front” several times, which is what Iran calls armed militias and factions that owe ideological loyalty or have close ties to the cleric-led country’s regional agenda.
These proxies are sponsored by the Quds Force that is primarily responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations.
Khamenei said Soleimani “delved into complex political issues and carried out good deeds,” and that he “breathed new life into the resistance front.”
He specifically referred to Iran’s role in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Yemen.
The Iranian leader praised Soleimani’s accomplishments against ISIS.
Elsewhere, Khamenei expressed his appreciation to Qaani, by saying “the void due to the absence of the General [Soleimani] has been filled in many instances.”
Khamenei's official website quoted him as saying that those groups linked to the Quds Force see themselves as the “strategic depth” of Iran.
“This movement will continue in this direction,” vowed Khamenei.
Soleimani was the mastermind in the wars waged by Iran’s proxies across the region. Khamenei had appointed him as commander of the Quds Force in 1998.
He played a pivotal role in recruiting, financing, and arming groups, in addition to his role in Iran's regional foreign policy.
At the height of the civil war in Iraq in 2007, the US military accused the Quds Force of supplying explosive devices to militias affiliated with Iran, which caused the deaths of many US soldiers.
He was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in January 2020.
