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The new ‘Haj Qassem’ missile was used in the barrage of strikes against Israel, killing 10 people overnight. It was named after former Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
Iran launched a new missile named after former Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. (Reuters)
Iran used a newly developed ballistic missile named after former General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed on US President Donald Trump’s orders in 2020, in its latest barrage of airstrikes that resulted in 10 more casualties on Saturday.
The new ‘Haj Qassem’ guided ballistic missile was used in the volley of strikes against Israel, killing 10 people and wounding 200 overnight, according to CNN citing Iranian reports. According to the Islamic Republic, the missile is designed to evade Israel’s Iron Dome defence system and even the US military’s Terminal High Altitude Defence (THAAD) and Patriot systems.
On May 4, the Iranian defence minister said on May 4 that the new solid-fueled missile will have better manoeuvrability as compared to the previous missiles. A video of the missile test-fire was aired on the Iranian national TV channel IRIB, which showed the target being hit.
“The new ballistic missile is also equipped with an advanced navigation system that allows it to hit targets precisely and counter electronic warfare,” the New York Post quoted the Iran’s Tansim news agency as saying last month.
The name of the missile system is a reference to General Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds forces, who was killed in a drone strike in Iraq on orders of President Donald Trump in 2020.
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Who Was Qassem Soleimani?
Qassem Soleimani headed the Quds Force, and was widely regarded as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria. Soleimani was long seen as a deadly adversary by the US and its allies.
Many Iranians saw Soleimani as the man whose military and strategic prowess were instrumental in warding off the multi-ethnic disintegration of neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan as well as Syria and Iraq. He was one of the most important power brokers across the region, setting Iran’s political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
In 2020, on the days after the general’s death and leading up to his funeral in his hometown of Kerman, millions turned out to mourn him in a show of national unity. A survey published in 2018 by IranPoll and the University of Maryland found Soleimani had a popularity rating in Iran of 83 percent, ahead of then-president Hassan Rouhani and then-foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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