Ayatollah Khamenei Expresses 'Wish for Martyrdom' for Qassem Soleimani

On Monday, March 11, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic awarded the 'Zolfaqar' medal, the highest military honor in Iran, to Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and prayed that he would ultimately become a 'martyr' after 'years'. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the ceremony attended by several military commanders, stated that Qassem Soleimani has 'repeatedly put his life in danger from enemy attacks'. He added: 'God willing, the Almighty will reward him and grant him a life of happiness, and his end will be martyrdom, but not now. The Islamic Republic still has years of work with him. However, in the end, God willing, it will be martyrdom.' Qassem Soleimani, as the commander of the Quds Force, is responsible for Iran's foreign operations, currently active in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria. Soleimani is the first military commander in Iran to receive this medal after the 1979 revolution, which has a history of 96 years. The 'Zolfaqar' medal, named after the sword of the first Imam of Shia Muslims, has undergone design changes since the revolution. According to Islamic narratives, 'Zolfaqar' is the name of the double-edged sword of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Imam of Shia Muslims. The 'Zolfaqar' medal was the highest military decoration during the Pahlavi dynasty, established in 1922, but was later replaced by the 'Sepah' medal. During the Pahlavi regime, 13 army commanders, including General Fazlollah Zahedi, received this medal. Qassem Soleimani was promoted to the rank of Major General in 2010. 13 commanders of the IRGC and the army hold this rank. He is the most recognized IRGC commander outside Iran's borders. His name, alongside other commanders such as Yahya Rahim Safavi and Mohammad Ali Jafari, is on the UN and US sanctions lists. Following the conflicts in Yemen and Syria, the role of the Quds Force and Qassem Soleimani in Iran's foreign policy has increased. Notably, it was recently revealed that Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, traveled to Iran without the knowledge of the Foreign Ministry and even the President of Iran, coordinating instead with the Quds Force. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, and several military commanders congratulated Qassem Soleimani on receiving this medal. Soleimani had previously received three 'Fath' medals from the Supreme Leader, awarded to IRGC and army commanders on October 27, 1989.