In a reiteration of previous statements from leaders in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stated on Friday that elements of the Quds Force, the external arm of the Guard, are "soldiers without borders," referring possibly to their military missions outside Iran. Abdollahian's remarks came during his meeting with Major General Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force, at the Foreign Ministry to congratulate him on his appointment as a minister in President Ebrahim Raisi's hardline government.
The conservative minister praised the activities of the Quds Force, considering their contributions to the security assistance in the country significant. He added that the Foreign Ministry would follow the path of Qassem Soleimani, a statement reminiscent of leaked recordings that shook the country in May 2021, when former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif revealed the influence of what he termed "the battlefield" on the nation’s foreign diplomacy, referring to pressures from the Revolutionary Guard and Soleimani himself on the ministry's plans, international discussions, and regional policy.
These statements came days after a senior military commander in the country announced that Iran has six armies operating outside its borders that work in its favor and defend it. Ali Gholam Rashed, commander of what is known as the "Khatam al-Anbiya HQ," stated in remarks reported by the Iranian news agency Mehr that Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, had revealed three months before his death that he organized six armies outside Iranian territory with the support of the Revolutionary Guard and the General Staff of the Army. He admitted that these armies have doctrinal tendencies, claiming that their mission is to defend Tehran against any attack.
He noted that among these armies are Hezbollah from Lebanon, the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements, the Syrian regime forces, the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, and the Houthi militia in Yemen, asserting that these forces represent a deterrent power for his country. It is worth mentioning that Hezbollah has long publicly declared its loyalty to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with senior officials repeatedly stating that its money and weapons come from Tehran, while other factions have refrained from publicly acknowledging their allegiance to Iran, although they consistently express gratitude and praise for the Revolutionary Guard.
