During Thursday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on reversing Iran’s nuclear program, Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) asked Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman what Qasem Soleimani's role was in the Syrian Civil War.
"He is engaged we believe in what is going on in Syria in ways obviously we wish he was not," Sherman responded.
Soleimani is the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, which is tasked with spreading Iran's Islamic revolution and reports directly the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Below is a transcript on the exchange:
SEN. MCCAIN: Is Qasem Soleimani playing a role in the Assad regime decision making, in your assessment. What influence does he have over regimes command and control?
WENDY SHERMAN: What I can say again in this setting and I think we should probably make sure we get a classified briefing for you on all of this. Qasem Soleimani is very critical to IRGC Quds Force. He is engaged we believe in what is going on in Syria in ways obviously we wish he was not.
