Qassem Soleimani: I Will Remain a Soldier for Life

Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, referred to himself as a "zero soldier of the leadership and the Islamic Republic" and stated that "with the help of God, I will remain in this position of soldier for the rest of my life." In a statement released on Thursday, September 25, he said that "the front of the enemies of the revolution and the sacred Islamic Republic always expresses its words with the aim of creating division and confrontation among the united and cohesive ranks of the revolutionary and righteous people," and therefore, "one should never pay attention to or heed them." Soleimani indicated that this statement was issued "in response to the recent divisive remarks of the enemy and the narratives surrounding them," but did not specify what he was referring to. On social media and in some news circles in Iran, Soleimani is mentioned as a potential candidate for the presidential election in 1396 (2017). Although he did not mention this issue in his statement, he asserted that he would remain in the "position of soldier." He also urged his "dear brothers and sisters" to "ignore the deceitful and divisive remarks of the enemies and not allow the valuable time of the servants of this nation to be wasted on the evil goals and purposes of the enemies." Recently, statements from Mehdi Khazali, a critical political activist inside Iran, have emerged, severely criticizing Soleimani's performance and the Quds Force in the region, stating that the emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS) is "due to Soleimani's mismanagement." Dennis Ross, a senior former U.S. diplomat in Middle Eastern affairs, also criticized Soleimani's actions in the region in a recent interview with an Arabic magazine. The United States, in its recent report, identified Iran as the "largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world" and cited the continued use of the Quds Force for "implementing the Islamic Republic's foreign policy" as a reason for Iran's top position on this list, which "causes instability throughout the Middle East." In this context, a senior IRGC official accused the Hamas movement of colluding with Israel.