Gen. Soleimani was 'high-value target' because of his fight against terrorism: Analyst

General Qassem Soleimani, an epitome of the global fight against terrorism, was deemed a “high-value target” by the United States, says a political analyst from India, referring to the West as “producers of terrorism”.

Tuesday marks the third martyrdom anniversary of the celebrated anti-terror commander with massive rallies being held in his hometown Kerman in southeastern Iran, where he is buried.

Professor Arshi Khan, a noted political commentator who teaches at Aligarh Muslim University in India, commended the top Iranian military commander for his indefatigable resistance against terrorism.

“He was a high-value target because of his high post and responsibilities, which came in conflict with producers of terrorism,” Prof. Khan told the Press TV Website in an interview.

General Soleimani, the chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), was assassinated in a US drone strike outside the Baghdad Airport on January 3, 2020.

“Gen. Soleimani was well aware of the proxy war being fought in Syria behind the mask of ISIS (Daesh) and other outfits,” the commentator said, pointing to the US-led destabilizing activities in the region.

“He knew the scrip-writers and directors of global terrorism and fought against these terrorists with determination.”

General Soleimani played an important role in the defeat of the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq and Syria and foiled its plots, orchestrated in the West, to destabilize the region.

He was credited for devising and implementing the strategy that helped President Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria to regain control of key cities and towns after years of war and occupation.

Prof. Khan stressed that General Soleimani was a “brave and wise commander” with a “vision of regional peace and stability in general and the security of Iran in particular”.

On what would be the fitting revenge for the cowardly crime, he said Iran is a “genius country” that knows how to “handle the troublemakers” in the region.

Iran has repeatedly vowed to avenge the assassination of its top anti-terror commander, which includes the complete expulsion of US troops from the region.

On Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kan’ani, called it an “orchestrated terrorist act” and said those responsible for it would be brought to justice.

He said the US government, under former president Donald Trump, violated international laws and legal principles in ordering the assassination of General Soleimani.

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