Apr 14, 2015

When the fighters of the Islamic State (IS) took over large parts of western Iraq in the summer of 2014, Iran did not hesitate to assist both Iraqi and Kurdish forces in pushing back against the advance of the terrorist group. Iran’s geopolitical decision was also accompanied by what seemed an unofficial media decision: to promote the status of Quds Force Cmdr. Qasem Soleimani in the fight against IS.

Pictures of Soleimani at the front line among Iraqi forces surfaced on social media overnight. The various Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages dedicated to Soleimani had begun to act as his unofficial media arm, and his popularity has soared online. Often he could be seen looking at the camera, making no attempt to conceal that Iran had sent its commander in charge of regional policy to Iraq.

But now it seems that Soleimani has had enough. In an April 11 open letter to an Iranian filmmaker requesting that he cease producing a film about him, Soleimani also denied some of the things said about him on social media and asked officials to control the rumors.

“I am a soldier full of weaknesses and if not for the grace of God, it is not clear if I would have achieved any of these successes,” wrote Soleimani, who confessed to feeling "embarrassed" when he first heard that a film about him was in production.

In regard to his heavy social media presence, he wrote, “I protest strongly whatever is written about me on social media, and some of it is exaggeration and not true and contrary to security and political interests. And numerous times I have told the relevant authorities in the country.”