Brigadier General Ismail Qaani, commander of the expeditionary Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is the latest in a long line of formidable commanders who have led Iran’s proxy wars since the early 1960s. Rather than emulate his charismatic predecessor, Major General Qassim Suleimani, who from 2004 onward transformed the Quds Force from a clandestine service into a public mobilization force in the Middle East, media-shy and methodical Qaani has brought his organization back into the shadows. Qaani visited Syria in September following reports of renewed protests against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and perhaps even paramilitary activity against the regime, but news of his visit was first released after his return to Iran. It remains unknown which Syrian officials and other individuals he met with, and Iran’s state-censored media has explained the purpose of the visit in general terms.

• September 21: IRGC mouthpiece Tasnim News, reporting on Qaani’s visit to Syria, wrote: “Qaani participated in a joint Iranian-Syrian war game in the framework of planning joint countermeasures in the face of military and security challenges in sensitive locations.” In conversations with Iranian media, Qaani reportedly accused the United States of being the “real source of corruption, anarchy, terrorism, and discord in Syria” and declared that “Syria and Iran are brother countries and enjoy strategic, comprehensive, and deep relations. In the face of challenges, the Islamic Republic of Iran will remain on the side of the people and leadership of Syria.”
• September 22: Mashregh News, another IRGC mouthpiece, reported that Qaani visited Syrian artillery positions in Homs.