Qassim Soleimani

Qassim Soleimani was a major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran and the commander of its Quds Force, responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations. He played a pivotal role in Iran's influence across the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Soleimani was considered a key architect of Iran's foreign policy and military strategy in the region until he was assassinated by a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020, an event that escalated tensions between the US and Iran.