Who is Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Basij forces?

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Mohammad MansourMarch 17, 2026 at 03:50 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

According to Israeli military claims, Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran's Basij paramilitary forces, was killed in a recent strike. The Basij is Iran's most powerful internal security force, and Soleimani, born in 1964, had led it for six years. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also stated that Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was killed in the same strike. As of March 17, 2026, Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied these deaths. Soleimani, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, is not related to the late Qassem Soleimani. If confirmed, these would be the highest-level assassinations since the start of the ongoing war on February 28, marking a significant blow to the Iranian government.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Baghdad 30% Ali Khamenei 40% Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) 40% United States ×250% Qassem Soleimani 50% Israel Katz 50% Ali Larijani ×260% Iran-Iraq War ×260% Israel ×270% Basij ×270% Iran ×380% Gholamreza Soleimani ×690%

Keywords

gholamreza soleimani 100% iran 80% assassination 80% israeli military 70% basij forces 70% military commander 60% iran-iraq war 60% ali larijani 50% internal security 50% islamic revolutionary guards corps 40%