Gholamreza Soleimani

Gholamreza Soleimani (; 31 May 1964 – 17 March 2026) was an Iranian military officer who served as a senior officer in the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and commander of the paramilitary Basij forces. He was killed during the 2026 Iran war by Israeli strikes.

Early life and military career Gholamreza Soleimani was born on 31 May 1964 in the city of Farsan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, located in southwestern Iran. He began his military career in 1981 as a paramilitary volunteer in the Basij during the Iran–Iraq War, and rose to the rank of company commander and then battalion commander during the war.

He participated in the war's various battles and operations including its notable ones such as Operation Fath ol-Mobin, Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas, Second Battle of Khorramshahr, Operation Ramadan, Battle of the Marshes, and the Siege of Basra.

Soleimani served as the Commander of the Basij Organisation since 2019, giving him significant influence in enforcing the regime’s laws and ideals.

Education Soleimani received a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Isfahan and completed command and supervision courses at the IRGC University of Command and Staff (IRGC DAFOS). He was also a doctoral student in Iranian history.

Role in the lethal suppression of protesters As the Commander of the Basij Organization from July 2019 until March 2026, Gholamreza Soleimani directed the paramilitary force’s involvement in several high-fatality crackdowns against Iranian civilians. Under his leadership, the Basij transitioned from a social organization into a primary kinetic force used to terminate domestic unrest through lethal means. Human rights monitors documented that Basij units under his authority utilized snipers on rooftops and heavy machine guns to disperse crowds. Basij units were deployed with shotguns, assault rifles, and pistols to suppress demonstrations, resulting in over 500 deaths according to the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Iran. Soleimani also oversaw the deployment of Basij "security defenders" who allegedly targeted protesters' eyes with metal pellets, leading to hundreds of cases of permanent blinding. Reports from January 2026 indicated a surge in the use of live ammunition by Basij units in provinces such as Sistan and Baluchestan and Kurdistan.

Sanctions For his role in the brutal repression of civilians, Gholamreza Soleimani was subject to international sanctions from the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Monaco, and European Union.

United Kingdom – In October 2020, the UK imposed sanctions under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. The measures, which include asset freezes and travel restrictions, were imposed in response to his role in the brutal repression of civilians.

Canada – In October 2022, sanctions were imposed under Canada’s Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations, Cited for widespread and systematic violations of human rights during anti-regime demonstrations, the sanctions involve asset freezes, a ban on arms and financial transactions, and a designation that renders him inadmissible to Canada.

United States – In December 2021, the U.S. Treasury added Soleimani to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under Executive Order 13553 for acting for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Basij. As a result, any assets under U.S. jurisdiction were frozen, and U.S. persons were prohibited from engaging in transactions with him.

EU – In April 2021, Soleimani was sanctioned by the Council of the European Union for his role in the violent crackdown on the November 2019 protests in Iran, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties. The measures included a travel ban and an asset freeze.

Stance on Israel Gholamreza Soleimani declared that the Islamic Republic would persist in its efforts to eliminate the State of Israel, aligning with the ideological framework known as "the Second Step of the Revolution". According to Soleimani, Jewish hostility toward Islam had existed since the religion's inception.

The Second Step of the Revolution is a concept introduced by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 2019 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. The doctrine emphasizes continued resistance to perceived Western and Israeli influence in the region. In a related statement from 2015, Khamenei stated that Israel must be destroyed within 25 years, a remark frequently reiterated by senior Iranian officials.

He further emphasized the importance of an international media campaign aimed at portraying Israel as a state in irreversible decline. "The world's public opinion must be convinced that this regime has collapsed. We must continuously create and disseminate content in the digital space, spreading the message that the Zionist regime has been defeated". According to the IDF, intelligence provided by local residents led to the strike, which targeted a tent in a wooded area where Soleimani and his deputy, , were reportedly hiding. Soleimani was killed in the strike, while Karishi survived. Iranian state media later confirmed Soleimani's death.