The shadow commander

«Suleimani is the single most powerful operative in the Middle East today, and no one’s ever heard of him.» That’s what a senior CIA official once said of Iran’s top security and intelligence commander Qassem Suleimani, who US forces have killed yesterday. I have to admit: I indeed haven’t heard of him. Yet his killing might prove to be highly consequential on a global scale. One expert has compared it to the killing of a Vice-President. If you’re interested in hot takes of what will happen next, Twitter has them aplenty. For now, I recommend this older New Yorker profile which will help you understand who Suleimani was.