zara saleh

January 3^rdmarked the anniversary of the drone strike that eliminated Ghasem Soleimani, the mastermind behind Iran’s terror activities in the Middle East,aday after the U.S. Embassy was attacked by Pro-Iran militias.

The Iranian Supreme Leader promised a “harsh revenge” on Soleimani’s funeral. On January 8, 2020, IRGC claimed responsibility for an attack on Ayn Al Assad base in Iraq with no casualties reported. A few hours later, the Ukraine International Airline, Flight 752 was shot down and all 176 passengers were killed. It took IRGC a couple of days to acknowledge downing the airplane in fear of a swift U.S. response.

On November 27, 2020, Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhri Zadeh, was eliminated in an ambush near Tehran. Many believe failure in a revenge to Soleimani’s death emboldened other players to kill Iran’s top nuclear scientist.

Who was Ghasem Soleimani?

Ghasem Soleimani was the head of the Iranian Quds Force, the foreign branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He had a direct role in empowering Shia militias in Iraq and sending thousands of mercenaries to Syria in support of Bashar Al Assad. The Syrian Minister of Defense, General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, admitted that Soleimani helped him oppress the protests in the city of Homs when the Syrian revolution started in 2011.

Soleimani was also the main sponsor of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in Palestine.

In a recent interview, Mahmoud al-Zahar, former foreign minister and senior Hamas leader, confirmed receiving $22 million in cash from Soleimani during a visit to Tehran in 2006.

In Iran, he played a major role in deploying foreign militias to suppress the uprisings since 2009,when Iranian soldiers rejected to shoot at their own fellow citizens.

People in Iran also blame Soleimani for the sanctions and for spending the country’s wealth on terrorism and foreign militias.

One Year Later

As expected, Soleimani’s first anniversary was full of threats by Iranian officials.

Iran's judiciary chief, Ibrahim Raissi, warned that Soleimani's killers will not be safe on Earth. "Do not presume that someone, as the president of America, who appeared as a murderer or ordered a murder, may be immune from justice being carried out. Never," he said.

The Iranian parliament (Majlis) voted to mandate the Quds Force to accomplish the “harsh revenge”; expel U.S. from the region and to destroy Israel in the coming 20 years.

During recent days, Iran also ramped up uranium enrichment and seized a South Korean tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

In the wake of threats from Iranian officials, Pentagon decided to keep Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and its strike group in the Middle East.

“USS Nimitz will now remain on station in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. No one should doubt the resolve of the United States of America,” Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller said in astatement.

Iran is in dire need to save face as it lost its top military commander and top nuclear scientist in 2020. No retaliation on Soleimani’s anniversary, is not a sign of patience or modesty but rather a sign of weakness. The takeaway from last year’s targeted operation against the number one terrorist in the world is that force is the only language the rulers of Iran understand.

Writer: Ali Reza Assadzadeh

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”