Leader Lauds General Soleimani for Upholding Spirit of Resistance  

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei lauded sacrifices by late General Qassem Soleimani, saying his great work was to protect, empower, equip and revive the resistance front against the Israel regime and the US.
Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting on Sunday with General Soleimani’s family and members of the Headquarters for Commemoration of the Martyrdom of General Soleimani for his third martyrdom anniversary.
The Leader said breathing a new spirit into the resistance front was a very outstanding work done by Martyr Soleimani, according to his website.
“By strengthening the physical, spiritual and mental aspects of the resistance, the general preserved, equipped and revived this eternal, growing phenomenon against the Zionist regime, US influence [in the region], and other arrogant countries.”
Pointing to the progress made by Palestinians in facing the Zionists and the achievements of the resistance in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “General Soleimani used the experience that he had attained during the period of the Sacred Defense as well as the advice of his comrades to strengthen the resistance by relying on the internal capacities of these same countries.”
The Leader also praised as one of the important feats of General Soleimani the elimination of the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group and removing many of its roots, saying, “Martyr Soleimani performed well in that test as well.”

Superior Quality 

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to some personality traits of General Soleimani, such as valor, faith, responsibility, risk-taking, intelligence and rationality, saying, “The sincerity of the martyr was superior to all these qualities and this is why God designated him such a place of reverence and acclamation in this world.”
The Leader also emphasized that “one should not speak and act in such a way that the characteristics of the commander sound to be transcendental and unattainable.”
He also lauded Brigadier General Esmaeil Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and said, “The General’s void has been filled in many cases.”
“The resistance groups consider themselves as the strategic depth of the Islamic Republic and the wings of Islam, and the movement will continue in the same direction,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted.
The United States assassinated General Soleimani, former commander of the IRGC Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq’s popular mobilization units, in a drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
Both commanders were admired by Muslim nations for eliminating the IS terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
The US assassination drew a wave of condemnation from officials and movements throughout the world and triggered public protests across the region, with Iraqi lawmakers approving a bill two days after the attack demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country.
On January 8, 2020, the IRGC targeted the US-run Ain al-Asad base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar with a wave of missile attacks in retaliation for the assassination of General Soleimani.
Iran has described the missile attack on Ain al-Assad as a “first slap”.