Quds Force facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quds Force |
|
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 as an independent force |
| Country |  Iran |
| Type | Special operations force |
| Role | Extraterritorial operations, Unconventional warfare, Military Intelligence |
| Size | 5,000 |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani |
| Deputy Commander | Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh |
The Quds Force (Persian: نیروی قدس, romanized: niru-ye qods, lit. 'Jerusalem Force') is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) specializing in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Force as an organization analogous to a combination of the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the United States. Responsible for extraterritorial operations, the Quds Force supports non-state actors in many countries, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis, and Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. According to Michael Wigginton et al., the Al-Quds Force is "a classic example of state-sponsored terrorism."
The Quds Force reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei. After Qassem Soleimani was assassinated in a U.S. drone strike, his deputy, Esmail Ghaani, replaced him. The U.S. Secretary of State designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Quds Force as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 2019 based on the IRGC's "continued support to and engagement in terrorist activity around the world." This was the first time that the U.S. ever designated another government's department as a FTO.
Commanders
| No. | Portrait | Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigadier general Ahmad Vahidi (born 1958) |
1988 | 1998 | 9–10 years | – | |
| 2 | Major general Qasem Soleimani (1957–2020) |
21 March 1998 | 3 January 2020 † | 21 years, 288 days | ||
| 3 | Brigadier general Esmail Qaani (born 1957) |
3 January 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 323 days |
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Images for kids
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The Quds force's commander, General Qasem Soleimani was involved with both the planning as well as the execution of the operation to expel ISIL from Tikrit
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See also
In Spanish: Fuerza Quds para niños
