Judges’ list for Iran’s new Soleimani award reads like murderer’s who’s who

Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad to be judges for new prize honoring infamous Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

By World Israel News Staff

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signed his approval for a new award named after slain military commander Qassem Soleimani, the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Tuesday.

Soleimani, who President Donald Trump called “the number one terrorist in the world,” was killed in a U.S. airstrike in January.

Iran’s IRNA news agency said the award will be granted in the main category of “struggle and resistance” divided into six fields of “people and society,” “culture and art,” “politics,” “education and research,” “media” and “sports.”

Among the 19-member judging panel are representatives from some of the regions most notorious terrorist groups that are sponsored by Iran, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

All three are known for their bloody attacks against Israel and support for the Iranian goal of the “total annihilation” of Israel.

Iran’s Foreign Minister and the head of the state-run radio and television organization will also be judges.

The award will be presented to individuals from “the field of struggle and resistance,” IRNA said. Iran uses the term “resistance axis” to describe its network of proxies, allies, and terrorist organizations in the region, Asharq al-Awsat reported.

Soleimani was a top Iranian general who oversaw Iran’s Quds Force, Tehran’s umbrella organization that directs terror proxies throughout the Middle East.

“Qassem Soleimani is responsible for the death of American citizens and many other innocent people. He was planning more such attacks,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said shortly after the assassination.