Iran website denies Qasem Soleimani sidelined

A conservative Iranian website has denied reports that the Iranian commander in charge of the country’s Iraq file has been replaced.

Citing an unnamed source within the National Alliance, a coalition of Shiite parties that includes politicians with close links to Tehran, Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat reported Aug. 26 that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force Cmdr. Qasem Soleimani “would be replaced” by his deputy Hossein Hamedani due to Soleimani’s inability to secure a third term for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Various Iranian websites also cited Kuwaiti newspaper Alrai that claimed it had spoken to a Revolutionary Guard official who confirmed that Soleimani would be replaced by Hamedani. The Iranian websites claimed that Hamedani, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, has a positive relationship with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani due to their work together during the war.

Nuclear Iran, a website close to former hard-line nuclear negotiator and former Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (NSC) Saeed Jalili, has denied these reports in an article titled, “What are the ridiculous lies of the Saudis about Gen. Soleimani?”