Who was it that helped the Iranian General, head of the al-Quds brigade, Qassem Soleimani, to expand his influence and the circle of his allies in the Middle East? How did his name become so well-known and his reputation blown up out of all proportion?
Behind Soleimani's success we find,
firstly, the US establishment, and secondly, Europe and Saudi Arabia. The 2003 US invasion of Iraq
offered Iran the head of its fiercest enemy, Saddam Hussein, on a platter, creating the space for Iran to re-establish its links with Mesopotamia. Moreover,
the war in Syria brought the relationship between Tehran and Damascus to new heights when President Assad asked for the support of the Islamic Republic to prevent the regime-change promoted, financed and advocated by the US and Europe (with the full support of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey). Then
the clash in Gaza washed away the differences between the Axis of the Resistance and Hamas, once again improving Soleimani's position. And last but not least,
the Saudi war in the Yemen pushed the Houthis into the arms of the only country that supported them, and provided them with the tools to withstand almost four years of genocidal warfare: Iran. What more could Soleimani ask for? Is he, indeed, the strongest man in Iran, as believed in the west?
Contrary to what some
experts seem to believe,
Soleimani is not the most powerful General in Iran. Soleimani's direct superior officer is Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jafari. Soleimani is part of the IRGC and doesn't have forces under his command in Iran. He implements policy as dictated to him and is a part of his country's security apparatus, with a team of assistants helping him deal with the allies of Iran, mainly non-state actors.
Comment: It's even money that Poroshenko engineered the whole farce (under advice from his Western handlers) to create an excuse to block the Party of the Regions opposition (which is most popular in the regions where martial law has been announced).
The Kerch Strait provocation was bad political theater, but the consequences for ordinary Ukrainians are very real.
The British press obviously has a vested interest in conducting PR on Kiev's behalf, so here's the real skinny from Russia media about the political situation in Ukraine: