Who was General Qasem Soleimani and why was he so popular?

One of Iran's most powerful men, Qasem Soleimani was a highly controversial figure. He was head of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, an elite unit that handles Iran's overseas operations -- and one deemed to be a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States.

Soleimani rose to prominence to become an indispensable figure in Iran, playing an instrumental role in spreading its influence in the Middle East. The head of Iran's elite Quds Force, was killed in an air strike at Baghdad's international airport on January 2, 2020.