Qasem Soleymani (photo), the commander of the Pasdaran’s Qods Force, the branch that operates abroad, was just promoted from one-star general to two-star general by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenehi. Two-star is the highest rank in the Iranian military. The promotion suggests considerable trust in Soleymani by Khamenehi. Soleymani has run the Qods Force for 13 years. He joined the Pasdaran in the spring of 1979, just after the revolution.
