Following the martyrdom of the honorable Commander Hajj Qasem Soleimani, Imam Khamenei— the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces—issued a decree appointing IRGC Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa’ani as the new Commander of the IRGC. The following is the text of the Commander-in-Chief’s decree:

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Following the ascent of the lofty martyr, the honorable General Hajj Qasem Soleimani (may God be pleased with him) I appoint the honorable Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa’ani—who has been among the most prominent IRGC Commanders during the Sacred Defense and has served alongside Martyr Soleimani in the Quds Force in the region for years — as the new Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The strategy of the Quds Force will be identical to that during the time of Martyr General Soleimani. I ask all the colleagues in that Force to accompany and assist General Qa’ani, and I ask God to bestow success, confirmation, and divine guidance upon him.

Sayyid Ali Khamenei
January 3, 2020