Iranian proxies to choose winner of award named after slain commander Soleimani

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has ordered the formation of a 19-man committee that will decide the winner of a new award named after slain military commander Qassem Soleimani, the official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.

The biennial award, dubbed “the commander Soleimani global award,” will be presented to individuals from “the field of struggle and resistance,” IRNA said. Iran uses the term “resistance axis” to describe its network of proxies, allies, and terrorist organizations in the region.

Some members of the 19-man committee in charge of choosing a winner include the Iranian foreign minister as well as representatives of the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Houthi militia and Palestinian militant groups Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement.

The point of this award is to honor the “struggles and sacrifices” of Soleimani over the years, IRNA said.

Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force – the overseas arms of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – was killed in a US airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport in January.

Earlier this month, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Soleimani’s outspoken daughter Zeinab Soleimani as the head of a newly established foundation named after the commander.