Using the quds force of the revolutionary guards as the. Irans new quds force leader has a long history with. Irans new quds force leader has a long, shadowy history with afghanistan january 15, 2020 16. Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the wikipedia article. Whats more, the quds force has managed to create an afghan version of lebanons hezbollah in the form of the fatemiyoun militia, drawn primarily from afghan shiite hazara community and the 1. Government is taking several major actions today to counter irans bid for nuclear capabilities and support for terrorism by exposing iranian banks, companies and individuals that have been involved in these dangerous activities and by cutting them off from the u. As subunits of the commanding headquarters, there is a deputy commander, as well as the following divisions. The elite quds force represents one of eight branches of the irgc. The headquarters is located at the imam ali military base, at kilometer 20 of the tehrankaraj highway, ardestani boulevard, close to the end of saravan. During a recent television interview, petraeus said.
Five days ago, an undisclosed intelligence agency intercepted a telephone call made by the head of irans quds force, maj. The islamic revolutionary guards corps irgc is a product of the iranian revolution of 1979. Who was qassem soleimani, the iranian commander killed by. Pdfcreator kostenlos pdf erstellen pdf converter pdfforge. He was head of the revolutionary guards quds force, an elite unit that handles irans overseas operations and one deemed to be a foreign terrorist organization by. File members of irans islamic revolutionary guard corps march just outside tehran during an armed forces parade, sept. The quds force was created during the iraniraq and after the war continued to support the kurds fighting saddam hussein and the iraqi military. The quds force quds is the arabic name for jerusalem, is a special unit of irans army of the guardians of the islamic revolution. The purpose of this is to provide the countrys law enforcement. New quds force deputy is irans missile man in lebanon.
A bombing that killed several members of syrian president bashar alassads inner circle may have also killed irans infamous spymaster. But the revolutionary guard and its covert action wing the quds force, led by gen. Ismail ghaani, iranian general, boasts of quds force killing. Senior commander in irans quds force reported killed in aleppo battle asghar pashapour, who was close to soleimani, was said to be at the forefront of revolutionary guards operations against. Among the senior leadership of these groups, are longtime irgc and quds force iraqi operatives who fought on the side of iran in iraniraq war of 1980s and during the quds force campaign against the u. The quds force alternatively spelled ghods or qods persian. Pm warns qassem soleimani against interfering in israeli election after unconfirmed report the head of the alquds force sought to strike israel to bring down the premier. Iran quds force commander hussein hamedani killed in syria as. The quds force is a unit in irans islamic revolutionary guard corps irgc specializing in. Qods force in arabicspeaking countries, including iraq, yemen, and the gulf. An iranian soldier from quds force, the elite overseas branch of irans revolutionary guard corps, was killed in iraq fighting sunni extremists, reported news agencies affiliated with irans. During the iraq war, the quds force teamed with lebanese hezbollah to train, fund and arm iraqi shia militant groups, and plan and execute attacks against u. We hear a lot about sepah quds, or the quds force, these days. Aug 02, 2017 the deputy commander of irans notorious quds force bragged at a recent ceremony that his operatives have killed more americans than u.
Qassem soleimanis remarks follow president trumps tweet warning iran to never, ever threaten the u. Download pdf should major general qassem suleimani, islamic revolutionary guards corps quds force. The quds force is a military unit in irans islamic revolutionary guard corps irgc. In internal irgc communications, the codename of the quds force training directorate is 12,000. Converts every printable document to pdf, jpg, png, tif and more. This prophecy talks about the nations of the world burdening themselves over the issue of jerusalem, and how they are cut and deeply wounded by this. Armys iraq war general stanley mcchrystal describes the quds force as an organization roughly analogous to a combination of the cia and the joint special operations command jsoc in the. Cordesman, irans revolutionary guards, the al quds force, and other. The quds force is an elite unit numbering, as far as is known, several thousand. Qassem soleimani, nbc news looks at the secretive quds force that he. Killing of irgc quds force commander qasem soleimani. The foreign operations by the guardians, which also encompass the activities of hizballah and islamic jihad are usually carried out. In addition to the quds force, the irgc is made up of four additional branches. It was established at the beginning of the 1990s to help.
This document is an iraqi intelligence report about quds force activities in iraq. Irans revolutionary guards, the al quds force, and other. We know that its an elite unit of irans islamic revolution guards corps irgc that operates outside iran. Although the quds force has received a lot of media attention, very little is known about this very powerful and secretive iranian agency. In one such example, deputy commander of the quds force external special operations unit, abdul reza. Aug 15, 2007 irans revolutionary guards, the al quds force, and other intelligence and paramilitary forces. Us makes good on threat, sanctions iranian quds force. The book tells the story of how the quds force and its shia militias fought on the three fronts to advance the islamic republics militant interpretation of shia islam and create a contiguous land corridor linking iran through iraq to syria, lebanon, and the israeli northern fronts. He was officially in the country as an advisor to syrian president. Irans special forces rush in to help floundering ally.
The quds force is essentially an offshore unit of the irgc officially begun in the late 1980s. Niruye qods, jerusalem force is a special unit of irans army of the guardians of the islamic revolution revolutionary guard. Nader uskowi visiting fellow the washington institute for. Ayatollah ruhollah khomeini established the force to protect the islamic order of the new iranian government. Sep 04, 2015 conservative radio host hugh hewitt stumped republican presidential candidate and former reality television star donald trump on thursday with a question about the special quds force within iran. Qassem soleimani and irans unique regional strategy. The quds force whose personnel ranges from 1,00015,000 men and womenalso provides material support to the taliban in afghanistan and shiite militias in iraq, according to the state department and other government sources.
Irans malign intelligence activities united against nuclear iran. Qassem suleimani is the dominant player in the iranian national security apparatus. S iranian officer arrested in iraq september 20, 2007 9. The quds force 2 is a unit in irans islamic revolutionary guard corps. Members of irgc participating in a march past during an annual military parade in tehran, on september 22, 20. Oct 09, 2015 iran said friday that one of its senior military officers, quds force commander gen. Quds force simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Create and merge pdfs with pdfcreator and let pdf architect help you edit pdfs, insert images to pdfs, extract text from images and more. It has been tasked with exporting irans islamic revolution, and is responsible for extraterritorial operations of the revolutionary guard. The quds force is considered as one of the most powerful security agencies in the middle east. The quds expanded their operations into other areas, aiding the northern alliance against the soviets in afghanistan and then against taliban forces. Irans special forces rush in to help floundering ally the.
The man was to look for other potential spies and pass on information about security matters and how to create polarization in israeli society. Ali khamenei and hashemi rafsanjani reportedly tried to create a rivalry between the irgc and the. United nations and european union sanctions targeting irans military and missile programs remain in place until 2020 and 2023, respectively. As i watch america betray her only ally in the middle east, it brings to mind a prophecy in the book of zechariah. Licenses for both editions are valid for pdfcreator professional. New quds force commander vows to bring about rule of hidden imam. Irans revolutionary guards council on foreign relations. Since all quds force operations are classified, it is impossible for outside researchers to. Since the iranian revolution more than thirty years ago, the islamic revolutionary guard corps irgc. Download pdf should major general qassem suleimani, islamic revolutionary guards corps quds force irgc qf commander, pursue a. It has the mission of liberating muslim land, especially alquds, from which it takes its namejerusalem force in english. The quds force training directorate group forms an important part of the terrorist quds force. The quds force was using operatives recruited in iraq, lebanon, yemen, turkey and egypt to finance, train and equip the radical group ansar alsharia in libya, careful to show their hand only to a. Treasury department designated the quds force a supporter of terrorism in 2007, and it imposed further sanctions on quds force officials in 2011 after a failed assassination attempt on.
A 150man unit of the quds force, the elite section of irans revolutionary guard, has deployed to iraq, supported. Terrorism and editor of islamism digest, believes the unit is not independent. The threat that grows while america sleeps steven ohern on. Much like a conventional military agency, the irgc, about 125,000 members strong, has. Using the quds force of the revolutionary guards as the main. The federation of american scientists, in a document from 1998, says the primary mission of the quds force is to organize, train, equip, and finance foreign islamic revolutionary movements.
Quds force commander calls for eradication of israel. The quds jerusalem force is one of five branches of the islamic revolutionary guards corps, which is the strongest militarysecurity body in the country and the regimes main support. First series of sanctions imposed by us on 6 people, 3 iranian companies suspected of funneling funds to revolutionary guards elite quds force. The quds force is part of irans revolutionary guard, according to the. The shadowy iranian spy chief who helped plan benghazi. He met his creator with gratitude for years of jihad. Apr, 2012 this is the sixth middle eastern outlook in a series about the irgc quds force the us department of the treasury usdot has designated islamic revolutionary guards corps quds force irgc qf brigadier general gholamreza baghbani, current chief of the irgc qf office in zahedan, a narcotics trafficker. It was used for protecting against extreme political invasions. Hugh hewitt stumps donald trump with question on irans quds.
With its useful features, pdf architect allows you to do so much more than just viewing pdfs. The newly appointed commander of the quds force of the islamic revolutionary guard corps, ismail qaani, attends a mourning ceremony for major general qasem soleimani in tehran on january 9. The editor of khordad was jailed for three years and saeed hajjarian, the editor of. New pdfcreator edition pdfcreator professional, which is the successor of pdfcreator business and pdfcreator plus. New quds force deputy is irans missile man in lebanon mohammad hejazi led irgc forces in lebanon and worked with hezbollah to improve precision guidance.
The designation for a foreign governments military is a major first on the international stage. Create and merge pdfs with pdfcreator and let pdf architect help you edit pdfs. But the quds force is cloaked in secrecy inside iran and is the subject of considerable guesswork from scholars in the united states, who in. Irans global force projection network critical threats. Was an act of war when soleim the iranian proxy militias to invade and attack the us embassy compound a month ago and its still an act of war. Hizballah and the qods force in irans shadow war with the west. Oct 25, 2007 the quds force, the elite unit of irans islamic revolutionary guard corps, provides lethal support to the sunnidominated taliban for use against u. Senior commander in irans quds force reported killed in. New quds force commander vows to bring about rule of. Oct 11, 2011 cnns barbara starr talks to wolf blitzer about the quds force after it is implicated in a plot to kill a saudi ambassador. Oct, 2011 link between irans quds force and bomb plot doesnt seem to fit. Henry austin is a londonbased editor and reporter for nbc news digital. After the war, quds force continued to support the kurds fighting saddam hussein, during the war it had helped the kurds fight the iraqi military. A look at three decades of irans secretive quds force.
The twoway as details emerge about the alleged iranian plot to assassinate saudi arabias ambassador to the u. Matthew levitt hizballah and the qods force 2 policy focus 123 the two entities pursue their shared aims against israel and the united states. Take control over your pdf files with pdf architect. Right, the emblem of hezbollah, an organization set up by the revolutionary guards and operated by the quds force.
Forceled groups in syria were to be used in any future military conflict with israel. Ties iran to deadly iraq attack the new york times. One element of iran, the quds force, this element of the iranian republican guards corps, the quds force, which has been very clear its leader has clearly stated that he controls the foreign policy for iraq and for a couple of other countries as well. Qassem soleimani, in which he was heard ordering his. The quds force was created during the iraniraq war as a special unit from the broader irgc forces. Printer drivers are signed with the current pdfforge certificate. The islamic republic of irans sophisticated military unit, the qods force also known as quds force, made headlines on september 29, 2011 with the arrest of mansour arbabsiar, a naturalized u. Qassem soleimani, the commander of the islamic revolutionary guards corps irgc quds qodsforce, has called for the eradication of israel in retaliation for the killing of a hezbollah commander ten years ago. Hamas and hezbollah, for instance, are useful means of squeezing israel from its southern and northern borders, respectively. Dec 18, 2012 quds force sectarian and regional conflict in the middle east in the early part of 2012, isw, aei, and the brookings institution undertook a war game designed to simulate a worsening of the syrian conflict and the spillover effects of that crisis on neighboring countries. The irgc and, in particular, its quds force unit is the primary caretaker of these relationships, providing support and funding to proxies in exchange for action against tehrans rivals. The al quds force is also known to have been closely aligned with hezbollah in lebanon until the 1980s and is believed to have.
The quds force, the elite iranian unit implicated tuesday by the justice department in an alleged plot to assassinate the saudi ambassador to washington, was formed during the 1980s as part of the. Iranian quds force soldier killed in iraq fighting sunni. Using the quds force of the revolutionary guards as the main tool to export the revolution beyond the borders of iran revolutionary guards emblem hezbollah emblem left. Hizballah and the qods force in irans shadow war with the. An iranian proxy like hezbollah, armed with the ability to hit targets with an accuracy radius of 30 meters, can decide to hit a building with precision, causing major disruption to the targeted country.
The killing by us drone strike of iranian quds force commander qassem soleimani on january 3 has the potential to seriously dent irans malign activity in the middle east and beyond. This document is an iraqi intelligence report about quds force activities. Irgc quds force and lebanese hezbollah will fulton critical threats project iran analyst and irgc project lead american enterprise institute march 20, 20 the views expressed in this testimony are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent those of the american enterprise institute. The use of this flag along with the flags of other branches of the irgc is illegal under the laws of united states, canada, egypt, bahrain and saudi arabia. But how long this effect will last is still very much an open. Odds on the new head of the quds force making it alive to the end of the coming week. This file is uploaded for researching the quds force and the irgc as a whole and their activities that are condemned by the international community. At the height of the civil war, the quds force deployed nearly 80,000 shia.
Quds force that is accused of not only supplying iraqi insurgents with. Levitt is the editor, most recently, of policy focus 107, obamas national security vision. Tracing iranian quds force links to illegal drugs trade. With islamic revolutionary guards corps quds force irgcqf commander qassem soleimani dead, a key question before u. To view or print the pdf content on this page, download the free adobe acrobat reader hp644 the u. Soleimanis quds force operatives have developed ties with armed groups in afghanistan, iraq, lebanon, syria, yemen and the palestinain territories. Its unanimous that quds force is the real power structure in the country, said a former u. Linked to the islamic revolutionary guards quds force, an elite group that. The sanctions target firms and individuals involved in these programs, including entities connected to the islamic revolutionary guard corp irgc. A typical lh member wears insignia resembling the irgcs and believes in the primacy of the e faqih religious docvelayattrine, which translates in accepting irans ayatollah khamenei as their own supreme leaders.