WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2020) The assassination of top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani marked a shift in operations of Tehran-backed proxy groups in Iraq and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf region, US Special Representative Brian Hook told a virtual panel on Wednesday.
"We have seen a pretty marked shift since the killing of Qasem Soleimani," Hook said. "We have seen a change in their tempo, with their proxies."
Hook said that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander was "indispensable" to military operations, citing his powerful personality, tactical ability and knowledge of the Arabic language, which helped him build relationships in the region.
The aftermath of Soleimani's death has seen Iraqis' and other Persian Gulf residents reevaluate their tolerance of Iranian influence and increasingly reject the Iranian model, Hook added.
Soleimani was killed on January 3 in Baghdad by a US military strike.
