Presence of Qods Force Commander in Iraq Signals Worrying Rise of Iranian Power in Middle East

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The recent presence in Iraq of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s terrorism-supporting Qods Force and one of the most powerful individuals in the Islamic Republic, indicates an increasing brazenness in Tehran’s conduct of foreign affairs, a leading Middle East expert told The Algemeiner.

“As the secretive leader of a special unit tasked with financing terrorism and promoting radical Islamic movements abroad, Soleimani might be expected to live in the shadows when he leaves Iran,” said Emanuele Ottolenghi, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and an expert on Iran and Hezbollah. “But the fact that he’s out there in the limelight suggests that he feels he can be open about his presence abroad.”
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“Even the director of the CIA travels under an assumed identity,” Ottolenghi said. “But the leader of the Qods Force comes out and says, ‘Hi, I’m Qassem Soleimani, and here I am.’”

Ottolenghi expressed skepticism that the Obama Administration, which has been heavily criticized by Israel and many conservative Arab states for pursuing a covert strategic partnership with Iran in an effort to secure a final deal over Tehran’s nuclear program, would act against Soleimani’s presence in Iraq.

“I don’t think they are in a position to do anything about this. Soleimani has frequently been in Baghdad,” Ottolenghi said.
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