General Qasem Soleimani: Iran's regional pointmanIran Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, killed in a US strike, was one of the most popular figures in Iran and seen as a deadly adversary by America and its alliesTEHRAN - Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed Friday in a US strike, was one of the most popular figures in Iran and seen as a deadly adversary by America and its allies. General Soleimani, who headed the external operations Quds Force for the Guards, had wielded his regional clout publicly since 2018 when it was revealed that he had direct involvement in top-level talks over the formation of Iraq's government. Soleimani has been in and out of Baghdad ever since, most recently last month as parties sought to form a new government. To his fans and enemies alike, Soleimani was the key architect of Iran's regional influence, leading the fight against jihadist forces and extending Iran's diplomatic heft in Iraq, Syria and beyond. "To the West, he is... responsible for exporting Iran's Islamic revolution, supporting terrorists, subverting pro-Western governments and waging Iran's foreign wars," Pollack added.

Source: Bangkok Post January 03, 2020 03:00 UTC