WANA (Jan 01) – On the sixth anniversary of the killing of General Qasem Soleimani — former commander of the IRGC Quds Force — by the United States, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a speech in Tehran on Thursday evening, January 1, 2026. Referring to the policies of the United States and Israel, he described these two actors as engaging in “state terrorism” targeting political and military figures in the region.
In his view, Western powers operate under the banner of “democracy and the defense of freedom,” while, in practice, directing their actions against “freedom-seekers and leading personalities in Islamic countries.”
Iranian Women hold pictures of Qassem Soleimani during a ceremony to mark the sixth anniversary of the killing of senior Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. attack, in Tehran, Iran, January 1, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
Pezeshkian also said that figures such as Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis represent “individuals targeted due to their direct role in the region,” noting that from Tehran’s perspective, they played a central role in the fight against ISIS and in supporting aligned forces in Iraq, Syria, and beyond.
He described such operations as “an effort aimed at weakening the regional resistance front.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian gives a speech during a ceremony to mark the sixth anniversary of the killing of senior Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. attack, in Tehran, Iran, January 1, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
The president added that Tehran intends to continue confronting what he called “oppressive powers,” emphasizing his administration’s commitment to a “region-oriented approach,” a direction that has increasingly shaped Iran’s foreign policy in recent years — stretching from Iraq and Syria to Lebanon and Yemen.
Pezeshkian underscored that Iran regards itself as a supporter of “groups and governments resisting external dominance.”