Iran has been unable to recover from the loss of top Gen. Qassem Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike in Iraq on Jan. 3, a senior Western intelligence said on Tuesday.
Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the elite division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations and serves as the Islamic republic's black-ops arm overseas.
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Soleimani was a key figure in spreading and maintaining Iran's aspirations of regional hegemony through acts of terrorism. He wielded immense power and influence in his position and was widely considered second only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; and while his deputy, Gen. Esmail Ghaani, was named his successor, there is a consensus among western intelligence officials that he pales in comparison.
In a press briefing, the senior intelligence official said that Soleimani "did whatever he wanted in Syrian and Iraq, and in fact was operating freely in the Middle East" on Tehran's behalf.
His elimination "dealt a crushing blow to the Iranian expansion efforts in the region," he added.
Ghaani, the official explained, "Lacks Soleimani unique capabilities" as both a tactician and a strategist, and therefore "cannot really fill his shoes. In this respect, Soleimani's elimination has far-reaching implications on Iran's future plans in the region."
He declined to comment on whether Israeli intelligence provided to the US played any part in the timing or manner of the assassination of the Iranian general.
Meanwhile, Iran's envoy to Iraq claimed Tuesday that at the time of his assassination, Soleimani was on a mission aiming to resolve the tension between Iran and Gulf archrival Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador Iraj Masjedi claimed that Soleimani was slated to convey the position of the Islamic republic in the mediation attempts between Tehran and Riyadh, in which Iraq participated.
"This included Iran's position on combating terrorism and achieving peace and security in the region," Masjedi said. "Tehran welcomes Iraq's role in efforts to resolve Iran-Saudi disputes. Tehran wants to resolve disputes and challenges with Saudi Arabia and the UAE as soon as possible."
The assertion that Soleimani was on a diplomatic mission in Iraq has been dismissed by Western intelligence officials, as he is believed to have been in the country to orchestrate mass riots outside the American Embassy in Baghdad and attacks on US forces stationed in Iraq.
