Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei marked the new year by hailing slain General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US airstrike nearly three years ago and was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of US and allied service members.
Khamenei also praised Esmail Qaani, Soleimani’s replacement as head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019.
“Martyr Soleimani brought new life to the Resistance Front. His material, spiritual and moral support protected, strengthened and revived this eternal and growing phenomenon of ‘Resistance’ against the Zionist regime, the influence of the United States and against other arrogant states. Khamenei tweeted on Sunday.
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As head of the Quds Force, Soleimani oversaw Iran’s proxy forces abroad, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and armed militias in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani attends the meeting (unseen) of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran, on September 18. of 2016.
(Pool/Iranian Supreme Leader Press Office/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
A US airstrike killed Soleimani as he was leaving Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. Former Vice President Mike Pence said at the time that Soleimani was “directly responsible for the deaths of 603 US service members,” noting that he provided advanced weaponry and training for Iraqi insurgents who attacked US forces and their allies.
Iran is in the midst of the biggest protests in years over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in September after being detained by the regime’s so-called morality police for allegedly not wearing a hijab.
A fire burns in the streets of Iran as protesters continue to chant
(Credit: NCRI)
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Khameini has praised members of the Basij, the paramilitary wing of the IRGC that has put down the protests, and blamed the uprising on the US.
“This revolt was planned,” Khameini claimed in October. “These riots and insecurities were engineered by the United States and the Zionist regime and their employees.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
