Tehran — In a landmark address reflecting the shifting balance of power in West Asia, Brigadier General Esmaeil Qaani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force, has declared the withdrawal of US military forces from Iraq as a strategic defeat for Washington and the definitive beginning of a new phase for the Axis of Resistance.
Speaking Thursday night at a ceremony in Tehran marking the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Hezbollah leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, Gen. Qaani outlined the interconnected successes of regional resistance movements against US and Israeli aggression.
A Victory for Iraqi Sovereignty
Addressing the ongoing departure of US troops from Iraq, Gen. Qaani framed the development not as a negotiated concession by Washington, but as a victory secured by the determination of the Iraqi people and the sustained pressure of resistance factions.
He emphasised that the Iraqi nation is celebrating a triumph of national sovereignty, urging closer coordination between the state and resistance groups to safeguard Iraq’s independent future. Gen. Qaani also dismissed Washington’s attempts to downplay its withdrawal, insisting that all remaining US military elements must be completely removed from the region.
The Failure of US-Israeli War Calculations
Reviewing the broader regional conflict, the Quds Force commander highlighted the collapse of American and Zionist strategies aimed at subduing Iran. Gen. Qaani revealed that US officials had anticipated a rapid surrender of Tehran within mere days or weeks of initiating their military campaign.
Instead, he noted, the Iranian nation’s resilience and military preparedness completely dismantled those expectations. “The US and Israel launched their joint attack after realising that diplomatic pressure and proxy intermediaries had failed,” Gen. Qaani stated, attributing Iran’s steadfastness to the enduring guidance of the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei.
Hezbollah’s Unbroken Combat Readiness
Gen. Qaani strongly refuted Israeli claims that Hezbollah had been severely degraded following the loss of its senior leadership. Drawing on the movement’s foundational ethos of Ashura and Karbala, he noted that a new generation of fighters seamlessly assumed command, continuing to inflict heavy losses on Israeli forces.
Highlighting specific battlefield metrics, the commander revealed that Hezbollah fighters had targeted 373 Israeli tanks and armoured personnel carriers during recent confrontations. At least two-thirds of these vehicles were either destroyed or forced off the battlefield. He cited a single night of intense combat where fighters ambushed 20 tanks in a southern Lebanese village, demonstrating that the resistance retains full operational capability.
Axis Coordination from Lebanon to Yemen
The address also underscored the deepening operational synergy among the various pillars of the Resistance Front. Gen. Qaani highlighted recent territorial gains by Yemen’s resistance forces, noting the seizure of 5,400 square kilometres in ongoing operations against US-backed factions.
Concluding his remarks, Gen. Qaani issued a call for sweeping Islamic unity and a common defensive front stretching from Afghanistan to Yemen, and from Iran to Gaza and Lebanon. He warned that allowing aggression against any single nation endangers the entire region, pledging that the Resistance Front will continue its honourable path inspired by the sacrifices of its martyred leaders.
Reference: Tehran Times