Official Reaction from the IRGC: Qassem Soleimani is 'in Perfect Health'

The head of public relations for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran denied reports of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, being injured, stating that he is 'in perfect health and is assisting the Islamic resistance, pursuing the strategy of liberating the Holy Quds.' According to the state news agency IRNA, Ramadan Sharif, the IRGC's public relations manager, on Tuesday, December 3, called the news of Soleimani's injury a 'lie' that, according to him, was published 'to influence public opinion and the resistance front.' The Islamic Republic of Iran refers to the Syrian government, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, and other Palestinian groups opposing Middle East peace, as forming the 'resistance front' against Israel. The head of public relations for the IRGC emphasized that Soleimani 'is in perfect health' and 'is helping the Islamic resistance in Syria and Iraq to combat Takfiri terrorists.' The Al Arabiya network, close to Saudi Arabia, was among the news websites that reported Soleimani's injury in a conflict zone. According to this report, Josh Earnest, the White House spokesperson, also stated in response to a question from an Al Arabiya reporter that he could not confirm reports of Soleimani's injury, but the White House is monitoring these reports. Previously, several reports of Qassem Soleimani being injured in Syria had been published, but Iranian officials denied these reports each time. In December 2014, reports of Soleimani's injury in a suicide attack by members of the Islamic State in Samarra were published, but the Iranian Foreign Ministry denied these reports. Meanwhile, on Saturday, November 23, the Debka website, published in Jerusalem and known for its political-security analyses, quoted sources close to Syrian rebels stating that Qassem Soleimani was killed in clashes in eastern Aleppo. At that time, Ramadan Sharif also called this report 'fake' and said that the Quds Force commander 'is in perfect health.' The news of the Quds Force commander's injury and its denial comes at a time when, in recent weeks, with the intensification of attacks by the Syrian army supported by Russian air forces, the number of Iranian casualties in Syria has increased as IRGC units and Hezbollah fight against Bashar al-Assad's opponents. Hussein Hamadani, a senior commander of the IRGC, was also killed in Syria on Thursday, October 8.