The assassination of Major General Haj Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, in 2020 was far from a fleeting event in the trajectory of regional conflict. Rather, it marked a pivotal moment that, even by the acknowledgment of his adversaries, revealed the limited impact of the US strike on a project that Soleimani had meticulously built over decades.
Washington had believed that eliminating General Soleimani would deliver a crippling blow to the axis confronting Israel. Instead, the trajectory he established continued largely uninterrupted, reflecting the deep institutional and operational structures he developed within the Quds Force and among the allied militias and fronts he directly supported and nurtured.
On the sixth anniversary of General Haj Qassem Soleimani’s martyrdom in 2026, the spokesperson for the commemoration headquarters announced that the motto for the occasion will be “Man of Iran.”
Early Life and Rise
Haj Qassem Soleimani was born on March 11, 1957, in the village of Qanateh Malek in Rabor District, Kerman Province, southern Iran. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and the fall of the Shah’s regime, he joined the movement and, in early 1980, enlisted in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the establishment of the Islamic Republic under Imam Khomeini.
Soleimani’s name came to prominence during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), when he was in his twenties. He trained multiple battalions from Kerman province and deployed them to the frontlines. In 1982, IRGC Commander Mohsen Rezaei appointed him to lead the 41st Tharallah Division, comprising fighters from Kerman, Sistan and Baluchistan, and Hormozgan provinces.
Under his command, Soleimani executed high-profile military operations, demonstrating exceptional skill in reconnaissance behind Iraqi lines. He participated in critical battles, including Fajr-8, Karbala-4, and Karbala-5, breaching Iraqi frontlines and solidifying his reputation as a field commander with decisive influence on the course of engagements.
Post-War Leadership
After the war ended in 1988, Soleimani was promoted to brigadier general and appointed IRGC commander in Kerman province, overseeing sensitive security operations along the Afghan border, including anti-narcotics efforts. He quickly emerged as a leading military figure in the border regions, combining field expertise with organizational acumen.
In 1998, Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei tasked Soleimani with leading the Quds Force, placing him in charge of the IRGC’s foreign operations across several regional theaters. From this position, he played a central role in supporting and developing resistance factions against Israel and global powers, while also confronting terrorism, including launching operations against ISIS in 2014.
Regional Influence and Iraqi Front
General Soleimani was instrumental in establishing Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to counter terrorist organizations and protect holy sites. He oversaw decisive battles in Amariyah, Tikrit, Fallujah, Jurf al-Sakhar, and Erbil, cementing his name with the victories of Iraqi forces in these regions.
On March 10, 2019, Ayatollah Khamenei awarded Soleimani the Order of Zulfiqar, Iran’s highest military honor, in recognition of his extraordinary achievements—a first in the history of the Islamic Republic.
National Hero and Legacy
Domestically, Qassem Soleimani is regarded as a national hero in Iran, a status reflected in the unprecedented turnout for his funeral. Millions participated in mourning processions spanning Baghdad, Karbala, Najaf, and multiple Iranian cities, including Mashhad and Ahvaz, culminating in a funeral prayer in Tehran led by Imam Khamenei and his burial in his hometown of Kerman on January 8, 2020.
Analytically, Major General Soleimani’s influence extended beyond his personal leadership; it was embedded in the strategic infrastructure he created. His enduring political and military presence after his assassination demonstrates that he was not merely a commander but the architect of a regional network of alliances and operational structures, rendering his physical absence insufficient to produce the vacuum Washington anticipated.