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Quds Force facts for kids

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Quds Force
Founded 1988; 37 years ago (1988) as an independent force
Country  Iran
Type Special operations force
Role Extraterritorial operations, Unconventional warfare, Military Intelligence
Size 5,000
Commanders
Current
commander		 Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani
Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh

The Quds Force (which means "Jerusalem Force" in Persian) is a special part of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It focuses on secret missions outside of Iran and gathering important information about other countries. Think of it like a mix of a spy agency and a special forces team in the United States.

The Quds Force works to support groups that are not official governments in many places. These groups include Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other groups in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Some people describe the Quds Force as an example of a government supporting groups that use violence.

The Quds Force reports directly to Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. After its previous commander, Qassem Soleimani, passed away, Esmail Ghaani took over. In 2019, the United States called the Quds Force and the IRGC a "Foreign Terrorist Organization." This was because of their continued support for activities that the U.S. considers terrorism around the world. It was the first time the U.S. had ever called a part of another country's government a terrorist organization.

Who Leads the Quds Force?

The Quds Force has had several important leaders since it started. These commanders guide its special missions and intelligence work.

Past Commanders

  • Ahmad Vahidi was the first commander, serving from 1988 to 1998.
  • Qasem Soleimani led the Quds Force from 1998 until January 2020. He was a very well-known figure.

Current Commander

  • Esmail Qaani became the commander on January 3, 2020, and leads the force today.

Images for kids

  • Ahmad Vahidi 1401 (cropped)

    Ahmad Vahidi, the first commander of the Quds Force.

  • Qasem Soleimani with Zolfaghar Order

    Qasem Soleimani, a former commander of the Quds Force.

  • Esmail Qaani

    Esmail Qaani, the current commander of the Quds Force.

  • Battle of Tikrit (2015) (digitized)

    General Qasem Soleimani helped plan and carry out the mission to remove ISIL from Tikrit.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Fuerza Quds para niños

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