Iran Names Esmail Qaani As New Quds Chief After Soleimani Killing

Iran’s supreme leader appointed Esmail Qaani as the new head of the Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm.

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Iran's supreme leader appointed Esmail Qaani as the new head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm after its commander was killed Friday in a US strike on Baghdad airport.

"Following the martyrdom of the glorious general haj Qasem Soleimani, I name Brigadier General Esmail Qaani as the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement posted on his official website.

Qaani was described by Khamenei as one of the "most decorated commanders" of the Guards during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

“The orders for the (Quds) force remain exactly as they were during the leadership of martyr Soleimani,” said the supreme leader.

"I call on the members of the force to be present and co-operate with General Qaani and wish him divine prosperity, acceptance and guidance," he added.

(This is a developing story. It will be updated with more details.)

(Published in an arrangement with PTI.)