Preparations Made for Commemorating Martyrdom Anniversary of Gen. Soleimani

In comments at a press conference held at the Vahdat Hall in Tehran on Sunday, the secretary of the Popular Headquarters for Commemoration of the 3rd Martyrdom Anniversary of General Soleimani expounded on plans to pay tribute to the late commander.

General Soleimani, former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Quds Force, and his Iraqi comrade Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were targeted along with their companions on January 3, 2020, in a terrorist drone strike authorized by former US president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport.

In remarks at Sunday’s press conference, Hamid Reza Moqaddamfar said General Soleimani is a “national hero and a hero of the Islamic world” who will stay alive forever, because his legacy continues to inspire.

Hailing the late commander as the “symbol of Iranian and Islamic identity”, Moqaddamfar said hearts in Iran and all over the world were attracted to General Soleimani, a sign of which was that people of different strata with various thoughts, faiths and ethnic roots took part in the popular commander’s funeral.

General Soleimani became the axis of unity, because as Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has mentioned, the commander’s way continues to be taken, contrary to what the enemy had perceived, he added.

Moqaddamfar announced that a national congress on the commemoration of General Soleimani will be held on January 3, 2023, at the Grand Musalla (prayer hall) of Tehran, which will be addressed by a senior Iranian official.

He added that international figures are also scheduled to attend a scientific congress entitled “The Global Hero of Resistance” in Tehran on January 4.

Moqaddamfar noted that the catchword for the third anniversary of General Soleimani’s martyrdom is “selfless”, derived from a phrase in the late commander’s will in which he told the Iranian brothers and sisters that he would devote his life thousands of times to the people.

In a meeting with members of Basij in November, Ayatollah Khamenei said the hostile plots against Iran were thwarted “by the enormous, effective strength of the Islamic Republic, the embodiment of which was a person named Haj Qassem Soleimani.”

“Now we know why Haj Qassem Solimani’s name is admired so much by the Iranian nation, and at the same time, why his name angers Iran’s enemies so much. They become angry when his name is mentioned, it infuriates them. Haj Qassem Soleimani was the epitome of the Islamic Republic’s policy in confronting the enemy’s plans. He foiled the enemy’s comprehensive plan, may God be pleased with him,” the Leader stated.