General Soleimani was 'architect of Axis of Resistance’ in region: FM Araghchi

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has lauded the late anti-terror commander martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani as the “architect of the Axis of Resistance” in the region.

Araghchi made the remark in an address to an international conference to commemorate the legacy of the late Iranian commander, who was assassinated by the US in January 2020.

"Hajj Qassem was the architect of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ in the region. The legacy of the architecture has gone far beyond the current policies as well as practical approaches in the foreign policy,” he said.

At the current sensitive juncture in world history, in which the international order has declined from a supposedly law-based system into an order based on force, Iran’s justice-seeking policy is still confronting bullying, arrogant powers, he added.

He emphasized that Iran will continue its moral, political, and legal support for the discourse of resistance.

The top Iranian diplomat said many envisage the future of the region to be under Israel’s "unquestionable domination" but the realities of the region and the world show that “resistance has become an undeniable geopolitical reality and one of the main influential players in shaping the future order" of the West Asia region. 

‘He always sought to revitalize resistance’: Leader honors Gen. Soleimani ahead of martyrdom anniv.

Ayatollah Khamenei has praised as “unique” the sacrifices of Iran’s top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.

Such an order should be based on the free will of regional nations, respect for the countries’ national sovereignty, justice, and bilateral and multilateral cooperation, rather than bullying and the plots of extra-regional powers, Araghchi pointed out.

General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions were assassinated in a US drone strike authorized by then-US President Donald Trump near the Iraqi capital Baghdad’s International Airport on January 3, 2020.

Both commanders were highly revered across West Asia because of their key role in fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

General Soleimani deemed resistance as ‘means to halt unbridled violence’: Daughter

Addressing the conference, General Soleimani’s daughter, Zeinab, said his father regarded resistance as a means to halt unbridled violence.

She added that regional experience attests to the fact that the approach of General Soleimani and Iran’s regional policy were fundamentally directed toward “curtailing violence and preventing a chain collapse” of countries in unstable situations.

She noted that diplomacy was the key to a more humane and stable order in a crisis-ridden region, emphasizing that the developments of the past six years following General Soleimani’s assassination show that his approach was a reflection of the Islamic Republic’s macro strategy.

She said General Soleimani’s approach has been pursued by his companions after his assassination and will be regenerated as the viable model for curbing violence and defending human order while various forms of occupation, aggression, and destabilization persist in the region.

'Doctrine of resistance serves as intellectual driving force against oppressors'

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said resistance should not be understood solely as an ideal or objective, but rather as a mindset and an intellectual driving force in the face of arrogant and hegemonic powers.

"Such a reality cannot be obliterated by bombardment, is not self-centered, and does not fade away with the martyrdom of its leaders,” he added.

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