To promote wins against IS, Iran's Soleimani emerges

In the last few months, the Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani went from being a mysterious man who made no public appearances to a commander whose photos and videos were broadcast after each Iraqi army victory against Islamic State (IS) forces. Soleimani was no longer the “shadow commander,” as Dexter Filkins called him in a 2013 New Yorker article.

Soleimani, commander of Iran's Quds Force, began his emergence into the public eye in Iraqi military and political settings after Mosul fell to IS in June. Al-Monitor has learned from Iraqi political sources that Soleimani has been undeniably engaged in political and military decisions related to Iraq's fight against IS.

Soleimani purposely wanted his photos to be published to publicize his presence on the military front. The first photo appeared after Iraqi forces broke the siege against the city of Amerli. The image reportedly was taken there. Other photos are said to be from Jarf al-Sakhr, al-Dalouiah and other Iraqi regions liberated from IS.

In such photos, Soleimani typically wears simple military attire, without weapons or equipment, and sits or stands among fighters affiliated with Shiite militias or sometimes with militia leaders, like Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the Badr Organization.