Esmail Ghaani

Esmail Qaani is an Iranian brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who serves as the commander of the IRGC Quds Force, an elite special operations force responsible for extraterritorial operations. Qaani succeeded Qasem Soleimani as Quds Force commander after Soleimani was assassinated in January 2020.

• •Esmail Ghaani succeeded Qassem Soleimani as commander of the Quds Force in January 2020.
• •Prior to leading the Quds Force, Ghaani served as the Deputy Commander of the same organization for many years.
• •Ghaani was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2012 for his role in financial disbursements to Quds Force elements.
• •Ghaani reportedly played a significant role in the Iran-Iraq War during the 1980s.