Biography of Qassem Suleimani

Kasim Suleimani, with the rank of brigadier general, is the commander of Iran's overseas special forces, the Quds Brigade.

Suleimani's key role in Iran's strategy in the Middle East, coupled with his connections to the top brass, dictate that he plays a significant role in Iranian foreign policymaking. "The "Quds Brigade" reports directly to the Supreme Leader, with whom Suleimani maintains close ties, and has been described in Western media as "an extremely important and influential guy.

Suleimani likes to wear a short, neatly trimmed beard, collarless shirts and military uniforms. Calm and collected, he loved to play chess, and British and U.S. intelligence officials compared Suleimani to the Soviet double agent "Kalla," written by the British novelist Le Carré, both of whose goals were to join forces with anti-American statesmen against the United States.

Soleimani, whose Quds Brigades have been characterized as a terrorist organization by the United States and declared their intention to assassinate, capture or bring him alive, said in 2011 through Iranian media that he was not afraid of the U.S. assassination threat and was ready to be "martyred" for his country. And on Persian-language websites, some Iranian groups have launched a solidarity campaign under the slogan "We are all Qassem Soleimani".