US-Israeli 'Cowardly' Strike Assassinates Iran’s Basij Commander: Statement 

Tuesday, 17 March 2026 6:56 PM

Basij forces, Major General Gholamreza Soleimani (File photo)

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced the martyrdom of the head of the Basij forces, Major General Gholamreza Soleimani, in a targeted strike by the American-Zionist enemy.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the IRGC praised Soleimani's strategic decades-long service, highlighting his unparalleled efforts to modernize the volunteer force and assist vulnerable populations. 

The military body emphasized that this "cowardly assassination indicates the importance and role of the Basij in the all-out battlefield against the terrorist US army and the Zionist regime, especially in the recent war."

The United States and Israel launched a large-scale, unprovoked war against Iran on February 28, assassinating former Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and a host of senior commanders. 

Subsequent terrorist strikes on civilian targets have killed hundreds of civilians including more than 200 children. 

In their legitimate response to the aggression and widespread damage, Iranian Armed Forces have been conducting massive missile and drone strikes against US regional interests and Israeli military targets in the occupied territories. 

Promising to intensify these retaliatory operations, the IRGC issued a fierce ultimatum to the perpetrators of the strike. 

"We warn the wicked and terrorist killers of this high-ranking martyr that the combatant Basijis will never abandon seeking revenge for the blood of the martyred Leader, martyred commanders, and the various martyred people," the statement said. 

The IRGC noted that the spilled blood of these martyrs will undoubtedly "double the resolve of the heroic Iranian nation" and its forces to continue the path of resistance against global arrogance.