TEHRAN – The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, has showered General Qasem Soleimani with praise in his third martyrdom anniversary. 

Ayatollah Khamenei received members of the family of General Soleimani on January 1 as Iran prepares for commemorating the third anniversary of the martyrdom of the general who was assassinated by the United States in the early days of 2020. 

The meeting was also attended by the chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), General Hossein Salami, and IRGC Quds Force commander Ismail Qaani as well as members of the Headquarters for Commemoration of the Martyrdom of General Soleimani.

During this meeting, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that breathing new life into the Resistance Front was truly an outstanding, fundamental part of Martyr Soleimani’s endeavors. “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, the influence of the US, and against other arrogant countries,” the Leader said, according to a readout published by khamenei.ir.  

Ayatollah Khamenei believes that the testimony of Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, a unique human being, about General Soleimani’s struggles is a great means for understanding the importance of General Soleimani’s work in reviving the Resistance.

The Leader of the Revolution spoke about the progress that the Palestinians have made in confronting the Zionists as well as the achievements of the Resistance Front in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Imam Khamenei stated, “General Soleimani used the experience that he had attained during the period of the Holy Defense as well as the advice of his comrades to strengthen the Resistance by relying on the internal capacities of these same countries.” Imam Khamenei also praised General Soleimani’s accomplishments and referred to the manner in which the General uprooted and put an end to the activities of the Daesh terrorist group. He stressed the fact that Martyr Soleimani had done very well in that test.

The Leader of the Revolution expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Commander of the IRGC Quds Force, Brigadier General Ismail Qaani, by saying, “Praise God, the void due to the absence of the General [Soleimani] has been filled in many instances.”

The Leader added, “The Resistance Movement considers itself to be the strategic depth and influence of the Islamic Republic and the wings of Islam, and this Movement will continue moving in this direction.”

In another part of his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei explained that the public honoring of General Soleimani and the voluntary attendance of people in various commemoration ceremonies is a result of General Soleimani’s sincere nature. He said, “This year, like last year, people are attending these ceremonies with enthusiasm. By the grace of God, there are no problems or lacks in the meaningful presence of the nation and their appreciation for General Soleimani.”

The Leader of the Revolution referred to some of the General’s personal characteristics, including his courage, faith, sense of responsibility, willingness to take risks, intelligence, rationality, the way he took the lead in performing unfinished tasks, and the manner in which he moved forward without hesitating or stopping. The Leader emphasized, “The 'sincerity' of the Martyr [Soleimani] was the best of his qualities, and that is why the Lord made him so highly respected, admired, and honored in this world. At the same time, the reward that he will receive in the hereafter is unfathomable to human beings’ minds.”

Ayatollah Khamenei spoke of "honesty" as being another of General Soleimani’s attributes and said, “Even though he was involved in complex political issues and undertook great tasks, he was a sincere, honest person. We must all try to produce these qualities within ourselves.” 

The Leader of the Revolution went on to highlight an important point in honoring the General and describing his characteristics, “We must not speak or act in a manner that may cause the General’s qualities seem to be something beyond reach and unattainable.”

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that it is necessary to keep the memories of all the martyrs alive, with General Soleimani being among the most prominent of the martyrs. He said, “We must use different forms of art to keep alive the memory of the Martyr and his characteristics in his personal life and at work. We also need to provide explanations so that people will perpetually, continuously honor him.”

In the beginning of this meeting, the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, Major-General Salami, described January 3, 2020 – the day when Martyr Soleimani was martyred – as being the day of Martyr Soleimani’s spiritual revival. He also listed some of Martyr Soleimani’s outstanding personal traits, stating that, “The eternal legacy and glorious flag of Martyr Soleimani means that the flag of Resistance is advancing on all fronts.”

General Soleimani’s daughter, Zeinab Soleimani, also presented a report on the cultural and social activities of the Qasem Soleimani Foundation in this meeting.