Khamenei: Void Left by Soleimani Filled in Many Instances  

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets with the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards and the Soleimani family in Tehran. (Khamenei’s Office)  
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets with the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards and the Soleimani family in Tehran. (Khamenei’s Office)  
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Khamenei: Void Left by Soleimani Filled in Many Instances  

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets with the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards and the Soleimani family in Tehran. (Khamenei’s Office)  
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets with the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards and the Soleimani family in Tehran. (Khamenei’s Office)  

On the eve of the third anniversary marking the death of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei affirmed that the gap left behind by his passing was largely filled.  

Khamenei met with Soleimani’s family, Revolutionary Guards Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, and Soleimani's successor, Ismail Qaani.  

In his speech, Khamenei used the term “resistance front” several times, which is what Iran calls armed militias and factions that owe ideological loyalty or have close ties to the cleric-led country’s regional agenda.  

These proxies are sponsored by the Quds Force that is primarily responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations.  

Khamenei said Soleimani “delved into complex political issues and carried out good deeds,” and that he “breathed new life into the resistance front.”  

He specifically referred to Iran’s role in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Yemen.  

Khamenei noted the emergence of ISIS, saying Soleimani had “done a good” job in addressing this issue. 

Elsewhere, Khamenei expressed his appreciation to Qaani, by saying “the void due to the absence of the General [Soleimani] has been filled in many instances.”  

Khamenei's official website quoted him as saying that those groups linked to the Quds Force see themselves as the “strategic depth” of Iran.  

“This movement will continue in this direction,” vowed Khamenei.  

Soleimani was the mastermind in the wars waged by Iran’s proxies across the region. Khamenei had appointed him as commander of the Quds Force in 1998.  

He played a pivotal role in recruiting, financing, and arming groups, in addition to his role in Iran's regional foreign policy.  

At the height of the civil war in Iraq in 2007, the US military accused the Quds Force of supplying explosive devices to militias affiliated with Iran, which caused the deaths of many US soldiers. 

He was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport in January 2020. 



Ukrainian Attack on Beach in Russia’s Kursk Kills Three, Regional Governor Says

 A military car drives on a road under anti-drone nets installed by Ukrainian servicemen at an undisclosed location in the eastern Donetsk region on July 8, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
A military car drives on a road under anti-drone nets installed by Ukrainian servicemen at an undisclosed location in the eastern Donetsk region on July 8, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Ukrainian Attack on Beach in Russia’s Kursk Kills Three, Regional Governor Says

 A military car drives on a road under anti-drone nets installed by Ukrainian servicemen at an undisclosed location in the eastern Donetsk region on July 8, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
A military car drives on a road under anti-drone nets installed by Ukrainian servicemen at an undisclosed location in the eastern Donetsk region on July 8, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

A Ukrainian drone attack on a beach in the Russian city of Kursk killed three people, including a Russian serviceman engaged in rescue operations, and injured seven, acting regional Governor Alexander Khinshtein said early on Wednesday. 

Khinshtein, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the attack had been carried out deliberately in an area frequented by families in the region that borders Ukraine. 

Five of the seven injured, including a 5-year-old child, were in a serious condition in hospital. 

He said one of the dead was a member of Russia's National Guard who had been trying to evacuate people from the scene. 

"He had arrived at the beach with his comrades after people began reporting about the drone attack," Khinshtein said. "The senior sergeant had begun to evacuate people when a second explosion occurred. Unfortunately, he did not survive." 

Reuters could not independently verify the account and there was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. 

Khinshtein also said a Ukrainian drone had attacked a hospital in the town of Rylsk, closer to the Ukrainian border than the city of Kursk, injuring two people, blowing out windows and setting a roof ablaze. 

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of targeting civilians in the course of the war, now well into its fourth year, something that both sides deny. 

Ukrainian forces staged a large incursion into the Kursk region nearly a year ago. The Kremlin has said all Kyiv's forces have since been ejected from the region, but Ukrainian officials say their troops are still carrying out operations there.