Thread: US carries out ‘precision defensive strikes’ in Iraq and Syria against Iranian-backed

Analysis

Qassem Soleimani, top Iranian commander killed in US strikes, was a hero to many and one of the region's most potent figures



The death of Major General Qassem Soleimani is a watershed moment, even in the long and bloody history of Middle East conflict.

Key points:

• The US says Soleimani and his Quds Force were "responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members"
• Soleimani led Iran's overseas actions in the last couple of decades
• Killing him will take US tensions with Iran to a dangerous new level

The head of the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he has long been seen by Israel and the United States as one of the most dangerous and potent figures in the region.

Qassem Soleimani had the backing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, and a hero to many Shiite Muslims.

However, he was also popular or at least respected in many quarters of the Middle East.
In a region where inept, corrupt or hypocritical leaders abound, he was seen by his supporters as charismatic and, most importantly, effective.

He was responsible for running foreign military actions, coordinating a network of political and military advisers, militias and terrorist groups which have delivered Iran a decisive role stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

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