The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran’s Global Ambitions

Until his assassination by US drone strike in January 2020, military commander Qassem Soleimani was one of the most powerful men in Iran. A widely popular but also feared maverick operator, he helped to establish the Islamic Republic as a major force in the Middle East. This was a long way from where he began as a youth, living on the margins in a country ruled by a monarch supported by the United States.

In this highly readable account, historian Arash Azizi examines Soleimani’s life, regional influence and future ambitions. The Shadow Commanderbreaks new ground through interviews with figures who knew Soleimani for years, including his personal driver, the aides who accompanied him to his Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin, and his brother. Ultimately, Azizi uses the story of this one important figure to make sense of the global ambitions of Iran, a country whose actions are much talked about but seldom understood