TEHRAN – Yemeni Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf has described General Qassem Soleimani as a “way of life” and an “example” that Muslim youth will follow to serve their nations and put the interests of these nations first.

The foreign minister described General Soleimani as “a bright star of the Islamic Ummah in the sky of defending Muslim and oppressed peoples.”

Sharaf underlined that the top Iranian general embodied a comprehensive approach for those who want to serve their nations.

Commenting on the measures needed to be adopted by the leaders of the Axis of Resistance to continue the path of resistance, Sharaf said, “First of all, strength and cohesion of the Axis of Resistance as an inevitable destiny and a necessity for keeping its peoples free must be emphasized. The leaders of the countries of this axis are required to have more joint coordination and solidarity among themselves, and to take the highest degree of caution towards the known enemy and to exchange information related to the safety and security of these leaders (of resistance) and their apparatus, in addition to strengthening and increasing their capabilities in various fields, particularly those related to the information field, cybersecurity and intelligence, to take advanced steps in facing the axis of conspiracy and evil.”

The Yemeni foreign minister made the remarks in an interview with the Iranian Fars news agency.

Sharaf pointed to the United States' duplicity in claiming to fight terrorism and then assassinating the most important fighter against terrorism.

“The peoples of the world have become accustomed to this disgraceful behavior and the duplicity of successive White House administrations. These are political entities that believe in self-interest, excessive selfishness and benefit from others without trying to participate and partner and expand the base of benefit for the benefit of human societies,” the Yemeni foreign minister said.

According to Sharaf, the American way of fighting terrorism is primarily intended to combat those who stand up against the policy of global capitalism and achieving the goals of NATO and Western political entities without any humanitarian considerations or consideration for the interest of the people.

The chief Yemeni diplomat pointed out that General Soleimani spent his lifetime serving his people and the Islamic nation and did not live to create a position for himself or to accumulate property or achieve personal gain.

Sharaf concluded that the top Iranian general “is now considered a school, a way of life and a practice that will be emulated by Muslim youth to serve their people and put the interest of those peoples first.”

General Soleimani was assassinated in an American drone strike on January 3, 2020, along with al-Muhandis near Baghdad’s international airport. The strike was ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump and brought Tehran and Washington close to an all-out war. Iran responded to the U.S. strike by launching a missile strike on the American airbase of Ain al-Asad in western Iraq.

Ebrahim al-Dalimi, Yemen’s ambassador to Iran, has also said one of the important reasons that led to the U.S. assassinating General Soleimani was his support for Yemen.

Speaking at a ceremony held on Friday at the University of Tehran to commemorate the first anniversary of the assassination of the general, the ambassador said, “We, Yemenis, assert that one of the most important reasons that led to the assassination of Soleimani was his blessed stance on the side of the Yemenis.”

Al-Dalimi pointed out that Yemen is an integral part of the resistance front, and General Soleimani was a companion of all Yemeni fighters.