Iran announced, on Friday, the appointment of Brigadier Ismail Qayani, commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, to succeed General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in an American raid targeting a car he was traveling near Baghdad International Airport.
In a statement posted on his official website, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Ismail Qani as the new commander of the Quds Force, to succeed Suleimani.
Khamenei said in the statement, "For many years, Ismael Qaani accompanied me to the power of Jerusalem and served with him in the region."
He added, "The program of work of that force is the same program that was in the period of Soleimani's leadership."
Until now he had been a deputy to the commander of the Quds Force, in charge of Iran's foreign operations.