TEHRAN – Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, spokesperson for the headquarters for commemorating the sixth anniversary of the martyrdom of General Haj Qassem Soleimani outlined the anniversary programs at a press conference on Saturday at the Art Bureau in Tehran.

Describing General Soleimani, he said: “The world took pride in him. During his lifetime, he served the people with tireless effort.”

“He had a deep love for the people. He did not belong to borders. He believed in humanity, and for this reason, his efforts found meaning beyond borders,” Kadkhodaei added.

“Martyr Soleimani was devoted to Islam, and above all, he cared for humanity, beyond borders and colors. The soldier of Iran was a true defender of peace: a peace from which everyone benefits, a lasting and global peace in which the rights of all are secured,” he noted.

“The massive public presence each year after the martyrdom of our hero is clear testimony to people’s loyalty to the path and method of Haj Qassem Soleimani and a true witness to the people’s love for him across the world. Each year, people gather out of love for him, keep his memory alive, and are not afraid of the enemies’ threats,” the spokesperson underlined.

“He was regarded as a superior military strategist even by his enemies. Over the years, the people have been at the forefront of commemorating Martyr Haj Qassem Soleimani. Across Iran and even in various countries, people have spontaneously and lovingly participated in ceremonies honoring this dear martyr,” he stated.

Kadkhodaei announced that the sixth anniversary ceremony will be held on January 1 and various artistic and cultural programs have been scheduled on the occasion across the country, including a symphony orchestra performance on December 30 at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall.

On December 29, a ceremony honoring martyred diplomats will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of foreign diplomats.
The closing ceremony of the International Cartoon and Poster Contest “Terror Online” will also take place in January, and the winning works will be displayed for three weeks at the Art Bureau. 

Kadkhodaei also announced a gathering of bazaar merchants in Tehran and said multiple ceremonies will be held in Kerman Province, the hometown of General Soleimani. He honored the memory of all martyrs who were killed in terrorist attacks during the commemoration ceremony two years ago in Kerman, noting that a ceremony will be held on January 6 at the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Kerman.

Tree-planting campaigns and blood donation drives are among this year’s commemorative activities as well.

Kadkhodaei said the assassination case will be pursued through an academic conference on December 30 at the University of Tehran.

Ceremonies at Baghdad Airport in Iraq, events in Palestine, a conference titled “Reading Soleimani” in Russia, and a major gathering in Yemen honoring Martyr Soleimani and Martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis have also been planned. Similar programs will be held in Lebanon, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.

He added that a ceremony will also be held in Lebanon and noted significant progress in producing cinematic and documentary works, including the documentary *The 63-Year-Old Soldier*, to be screened on January 6.

Regarding the assassination case of General Soleimani, Kadkhodaei said Iran’s position remains unchanged: all perpetrators, planners, and executors must be punished. He added that legal proceedings have resulted in verdicts domestically and are being pursued internationally.

He said a feature-length film portraying Soleimani’s life will be released soon, alongside seven documentaries. More cinematic and TV works, including animations regarding Haj Qassem, are also in various stages of production.

The spokesperson emphasized that the commemorations are primarily people-driven, with the headquarters serving a coordinating role.

“The path of Haj Qassem continues, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will never abandon the defense of the oppressed worldwide,” Kadkhodaei concluded.

Qasem Soleimani (1957 –2020) was an Iranian military officer who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). From 1998 until his assassination by the United States in 2020, he was the commander of the Quds Force, an IRGC division primarily responsible for extraterritorial and clandestine military operations. 

He was described as “the single most powerful operative in West Asia” and a “genius of asymmetric warfare”.

Soleimani was assassinated by a targeted drone strike on January 3, 2020, in Baghdad, Iraq, along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi paramilitary leader and former chief of staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Photo: Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, spokesperson for the headquarters for commemorating the sixth anniversary of the martyrdom of General Haj Qassem Soleimani, speaks at a press conference on December 20, 2025, at the Art Bureau in Tehran.

SS/SAB