The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran's Global Ambitions [Paperback]

‘An excellent contribution to our knowledge of Iran and Soleimani.’ Kim Ghattas, author ofBlack Wave

When the US assassinated Qassem Soleimani, he was one of the most powerful men in Iran. Known as ‘the shadow commander’, he enacted the wishes of the country’s Supreme Leader across the Middle East, establishing the Islamic Republic as a major force in the region. But all this was a long way from where he began – on the margins of a nation whose ruler was seen as a friend of the West.

Through Soleimani, Arash Azizi examines how Iran came to be where it is today. Providing a rare insight into a country whose actions are often discussed but seldom understood, he reveals the global ambitions underlying Iran’s proxy wars, geopolitics and nuclear programme.Arash Aziziis a historian at New York University where he researches the transnational links that tied Iran and the Arab world during the Cold War. He has written for numerous publications, including theNew York Times,Washington Post,Daily Beast,Toronto StarandJacobin, and several of his book-length translations have appeared in Iran and elsewhere. He lives in New York City. @arash_tehranIntroduction: #WorldWarIII

1 A Life on the Margins

2 A Young Man in the City

3 To Guard a Revolution

4 “A Gift from the Heavens”

5 War Makes Man

6 No Islamism in One Country

7 A Chalice Full of Poison

8 An “Unwritten Pact”

9 We Protect the Shrines

10 Busy in Beirut

11 Islamic Awakening, Sectarian Degeneration

12 Black Flags, White Flags



Epilogue: The Endgame

Timeline

Acknowledgments

A Note on Sources

Bibliography

Notes

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