New Quds Force commander emerges from Soleimani’s shadow, convinces militias to reduce attacks on U.S. troops

Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, has asked Iran-linked militias in Iraq to stop attacks on U.S. troops, Reuters reported. Qani met with armed groups at Baghdad airport on January 29, less than 48 hours after Washington accused them of killing three Jordanian soldiers. People familiar with the matter told Reuters that Carney told the factions that drawing American blood could lead to a harsh U.S. response. Esmail Qaani was born in the holy city of Mashhad in 1957 and grew up under the Shah of Persia. Like millions of others of his generation, Carney was swept up in the revolutionary fervor of the late 1970s. Qaani became the head of the elite Quds Force in 2020, hours after the U.S. assassinated Qasem Soleimani. Watch this video to learn more.