UANI Statement: U.S. Strikes ‘Highly Significant’ Blow Against IRGC

(New York, N.Y.) – United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Chairman Senator Joseph I. Lieberman and CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace released the following statement following U.S. confirmation of President Trump’s decision to order airstrikes targeting IRGC Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi proxy force commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis:

“The strike targeting Qassem Soleimani represents a significant blow to the IRGC’s capabilities to target Americans and our allies. Soleimani is responsible for the deaths of at least 600 U.S. military personnel and was reportedly developing plans to attack U.S. diplomats and service members in Iraq and elsewhere.

Iran has long sought to mask its violent activities through the use of proxies in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen at the direction of Soleimani. The strike was a clear message that the United States will not tolerate Iran’s attacks on the United States and its allies, and Iran can no longer expect to hide behind its vast terror network.

“Soleimani was a towering figure in Tehran’s terror apparatus. For more than twenty years, he acted as one of the most powerful and dangerous figures of the Iranian regime. His death, and the death of Muhandis, marks a turning point. Iran is now accountable.”

UANI’s analysis, The Life and Times of IRGC-Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, details Soleimani’s life, who arose from humble origins to become the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force. The resource then analyzes Soleimani’s modus operandi in key regional theaters—Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen and discusses Soleimani’s symbolic role in Iran’s domestic politics. Lastly, the resource offers a collection of quotes from Soleimani.

On January 3, 2020, the U.S. State Department designated the Iranian-backed Shia militia and political party Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) as a foreign terrorist organization, as well as two of its leaders. Secretary Mike Pompeo described the organization as “violent proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The group, whose name in English is the “League of the Righteous,” operates primarily in Iraq, with ancillary operations in Syria and Lebanon. Iran provides money, weaponry, training, and operational oversight to AAH. As a proxy of the Iranian regime, Asaib Ahl al-Haq remains ideologically aligned with Iran’s Islamist political goals, and loyal to its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  The group worked closely with Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.

To read the UANI analysis, The Life and Times of IRGC-Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, please click here.

To read the UANI resource, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, please click here.

To read the UANI resource, Kata’ib Hezbollah, please click here.

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