Iran: Dominant Suleimani faces multiple challenges in Syria and Iraq

General Qassem Suleimani’s recently published memoirs reportedly sold out within hours in Tehran. While the print run was a relatively modest 5,000 copies, it nevertheless added to the growing cult of personality surrounding the Quds Force chief. For many years a shadowy figure, having created the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ covert special forces in 1998, his recent popularity has provoked speculation about a possible presidential run in 2017. But Suleimani must first deliver a complex set of objectives in his current role as the master of Iranian political and military strategy in Iraq and Syria.