Soleimani Warns against Sectarian Sedition in Iran

Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani , the head of the Iranian Radio and Television Ali Askari, and the head cleric of Friday speech imams in Tehran Ali Akbari (Tasnim)
Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani , the head of the Iranian Radio and Television Ali Askari, and the head cleric of Friday speech imams in Tehran Ali Akbari (Tasnim)
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Soleimani Warns against Sectarian Sedition in Iran

Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani , the head of the Iranian Radio and Television Ali Askari, and the head cleric of Friday speech imams in Tehran Ali Akbari (Tasnim)
Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani , the head of the Iranian Radio and Television Ali Askari, and the head cleric of Friday speech imams in Tehran Ali Akbari (Tasnim)

Iran’s Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani admitted on Sunday to allies inside Iran and abroad criticism on his division’s participation in Syria.

Soleimani said that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has taken the decision with the country’s best interest in mind, regardless whether the intervention was defending a dictator or not.

The Quds Force is a special forces unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards responsible for their extraterritorial operations. The Quds Force reports directly to Khamenei, and its commander is Soleimani.

Speaking in Tehran, Soleimani for the first time made note of an internal opposition on an official level concerning the military intervention the Revolutionary Guard is leading in Syria and Iraq.

“High-end friends on the inside and the outside had asked for us not to interfere in Syria and Iraq, and had defended the revolution in a respectful way,” said Soleimani.  

"Do we consider our relations with other countries as to who is a dictator and otherwise, or must we choose interests?" Fars news agency, Revolutionary Guards mouthpiece, cited Soleimani as saying.

Referring to Iranian military forces staging missions in Syria and Iraq, Soleimani claimed that his country takes credit for allegedly "linking Sunni and Shi’ite sects," stressing that his country "reached unprecedented strength" because of what he saw as Khamenei's "influential" role.

The Quds Force has been leading a coalition of Iranian, Afghan and Pakistani fighters as well as Lebanese Hezbollah and an Iraqi militia in Syria for six years.

Soleimani denied that his country had advanced its interests over those of Iraq's or had sought control over oil wells and the Iraqi cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, and also repudiated information on his forces getting paid for their participation abroad.

"The Shi'ite crescent is not political but economic, the most important issue in the world is economic," Soleimani had said on March 29, 2014, during a speech in which he defended the role of his forces in the region.

Since reports started coming in on Revolutionary Guard fighters being killed abroad, Tehran has denied the presence of troops in Syria, but later said that its military forces are taking up an "advisory" role in Iraq and Syria at the official request of the governments of both countries.

Responding to accusations directed towards Iran for destabilizing the region, Soleimani said "we through sects have prevented sectarian war, not military force.”

However, for six years, the Revolutionary Guards have refused to reveal their losses abroad, whether in fighters or expenses. Last month, Soleimani said defense ministry factories manufactured weapons around the clock to arm Tehran-allied Iraqi forces.

Although Soleimani stressed the "linkage of Shi’ite and Sunni sects" in Syria and Iraq, he warned at the same time of the "danger of sectarian strife" inside Iran. He called for activating the role of mosques in Iran to "rehabilitate" fighters.



Governments Scramble to Evacuate Citizens from Israel, Iran

Pakistani pilgrims evacuated from Iran walk across the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Balochistan province on June 18, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP)
Pakistani pilgrims evacuated from Iran walk across the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Balochistan province on June 18, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP)
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Governments Scramble to Evacuate Citizens from Israel, Iran

Pakistani pilgrims evacuated from Iran walk across the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Balochistan province on June 18, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP)
Pakistani pilgrims evacuated from Iran walk across the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Balochistan province on June 18, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP)

Governments around the world are attempting to evacuate thousands of their nationals caught up in the rapidly spiraling Israel-Iran conflict, organizing buses and planes and in some cases assisting people crossing borders on foot.

Foreigners have rushed to leave both countries after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign last Friday targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities, sparking retaliation from Tehran.

But with Israel's air space closed and the two countries exchanging heavy missile fire, many people are being evacuated from third countries.

European countries have already repatriated hundreds of their citizens from Israel.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia said Tuesday they had taken 181 people home on government planes.

"It was not possible to send the army plane straight to Israel," the Czech defense ministry said in a statement, citing the air space closure.

"The evacuees were taken to an airport in a neighboring country by buses. They crossed the border on foot."

The German government said flights were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday via Jordan, while Poland said the first of its citizens were due to arrive back on Wednesday.

Greece said it had repatriated 105 of its citizens plus a number of foreign nationals via Egypt, while a private plane with 148 people landed in the Bulgarian capital Sophia on Tuesday.

The US ambassador to Israel on Wednesday announced plans for evacuating Americans by air and sea, AFP reported.

The embassy is "working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures" for "American citizens wanting to leave Israel," Ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on X.

Australia has started evacuating around 1,500 citizens from Iran and more than 1,200 from Israel -- but missile barrages have made it too risky for civilian aircraft to land in either country, it's foreign minister said.

"There's no capacity for people to get civilian aircraft in, it is too risky, and the airspace is closed," Foreign Minister Penny Wong told national broadcaster ABC.

"We have taken the opportunity to get a small group of Australians out of Israel through a land border crossing.

"We are seeking to try and do more of that over the next 24 hours."
Pakistan has shut its border crossings with neighboring Iran, except to Pakistanis wanting to return home.

Around 1,000 Pakistanis have fled so far, including at least 200 students.
The foreign ministry said the families of diplomats and some non-essential staff from Iran had been evacuated.

Around 110 Indian students have been evacuated from Iran on a special flight from Armenia, India's foreign ministry said Thursday.

New Zealand said Thursday it had closed its embassy in Iran, evacuating two staff members and their family to Azerbaijan by land.

"If and when opportunities arise to assist the departure of other New Zealanders in Iran and Israel, we will pursue them with urgency," Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.

Japan has ordered military planes to be on standby for around 1,000 Japanese nationals believed to live in Israel, and around 280 in Iran, according to government ministers.

The Japanese embassies in Iran and Israel are preparing to use buses to evacuate citizens to neighboring countries, a government spokesman said, as the war entered its seventh day.