Senior American General's Strong Criticism of Qassem Soleimani and the Quds Force's Actions

The head of the U.S. Central Command, Qassem Soleimani and the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are responsible for the Islamic Republic's "costly and expansionist campaign" in the region. General Joseph Votel stated in remarks reflected on the Twitter page of the U.S. Central Command on Sunday, August 12, that "It is clear that Qassem Soleimani and the Quds Force are at the center of the costly and expansionist campaign of destructive activities in the region, including in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Yemen." This senior U.S. commander added, "These types of destructive and destabilizing activities undermine regional security and stability and do not serve the interests of the Iranian people." The U.S. and its allies have repeatedly criticized Iran's policies in the region, particularly in supporting Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and the Houthis in Yemen, accusing the Islamic Republic of financing and arming terrorist organizations. The Quds Force and its commander, Qassem Soleimani, have always been portrayed as the executive arm of the Islamic Republic's policies in the region. On August 25, Soleimani explicitly threatened the U.S. military, stating that "the Red Sea is no longer safe for American presence." He also addressed U.S. President Donald Trump, saying, "I will stand against you alone." Soleimani's remarks came a day after Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, south of the Red Sea. The news of this incident followed threats from Iranian officials regarding the closure of regional straits and reports of increased Saudi oil production after U.S. sanctions against Iran to control the oil market. Meanwhile, Nasser Shabani, head of the Defense Security Research Center at Imam Hussein University, made a controversial statement on August 6, claiming that the Islamic Republic had asked the Houthis to attack two Saudi oil tankers, which they did. However, after this report was published, Ramadan Sharif, the spokesman for the IRGC, denied Shabani's statements, claiming that he has "no responsibility" in this institution. The U.S. has designated the Quds Force as a "terrorist-supporting group," and Qassem Soleimani is also subject to U.S. Treasury sanctions. General Joseph Votel on August 8 also considered Iran's naval maneuver a message to the United States, stating, "Our message to Iran is that we are aware of what is happening and are ready to defend ourselves." This naval exercise took place in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman, which Iranian media did not report the start of, and it was the American news network CNN that reported the military exercise based on U.S. military officials. However, Iranian media reported the end of this naval maneuver, citing the IRGC spokesman. Meanwhile, an American official on August 10 told Reuters that Iran tested a short-range anti-ship missile during its recent naval exercise.