Qassim Suleimani's leadership in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and even in the Gaza Strip could continue to lead and develop his friends. However, because of his unique talent in identifying opportunities and realizing the potential of new situations, Iranians will feel missing out.

• Shi'ites at a memorial assembly for Kassem Suleimani in Turkey // Photo: AP

Kassem Suleimani's uniqueness was derived from his special stature as a military commander. In some areas, such as the laborers in the production line, there is no irreplaceable person. In contrast, in unique areas - especially where inspiration and creativity are needed - prominent people really have no substitute.

As in music and architecture, military, as a phenomenon, also embodies a unique talent. Like the architect and, moreover, the military is required to establish discourse and understanding in varying contexts with a large number of factors, some of which have their own high authority. In the encounter with the political echelon, the military is required to establish discourse conditions and learning in a stress-saturated environment, while at the same time guiding and leading the levels of execution at all levels.

For the establishment of a meeting point, in creating conditions for a clear and open strategic inquiry, the political echelon is no less responsible than the senior military echelon. However, the issues of discourse and the depth of its content, in identifying the evolving turnarounds and decision nodes, are largely dependent on the military rank. Only he comes close to the operational friction. In this, Suleimani excelled, earning his special status and full trust from Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Suleimani's funeral in Iran // Photo: Al-Akhbar News Agency

Even with other political leaders, he excelled in creating intimate discourse conditions, mutual trust, and a shared sense of opportunity and risk. The stamina and political intelligence required of the military in this field encompasses far beyond the acquisition of technical and operational professional skills that can be acquired.

Few generals know how to properly navigate the tensions between tiers. Even in the history of the IDF, the successes are quite low. The system of connections that existed between Moshe Dayan as chief of staff and Ben-Gurion as prime minister, in the depth of the trust that developed, is a unique example. Suleimani's conduct in this area did express a unique virtue, which would probably stand out from the Iranian command system.

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In addition, Suleimani also stood out in his rich operational experience. He gained his first glory as a young division commander in the Revolutionary Guards during the Iraq-Iran War. In a bloody eight-year war, the Iranian concept of war was forfeited and shaped. In this long-standing experience, out of the scarcity of resources and the limitation of stocking up on standard modern combat equipment, such as tanks and fighter jets, the foundations were laid for building innovative military capabilities, including rockets, advanced explosives, and local folk militias.

Suleimani, who grew out of the austerity consciousness that accompanied the Iranian forces, led to the perceptual breakthrough in the post-war years, in which subversive forces were designed to organize in an innovative operational pattern such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias and the Yemenis. Suleimani's uniqueness is expressed in this aspect of creativity in which he formulated new combat concepts, organized forces in flexible patterns that corresponded to local circumstances, and guided the fight against new logic. The trends he has led in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and even the Gaza Strip will allow his friends to continue to lead and develop. However, his unique talent in identifying opportunities and realizing new potential will be felt in his absence.

His loyalty to the vision of the Islamic revolution, his religious loyalty to the path of resistance as a way of belief must not be ignored either. Such a combination of features is definitely unique, and its lack will be very noticeable.