The United State’s successful killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani is a devastating loss for the Islamic Republic of Iran. The country has, for some time, engaged in bullying across the region, and his death could have severe consequences for its future.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei relied on Soleimani as his main asset in responding to the U.S.’s maximum pressure campaign, which used economic sanctions to punish Iranian aggression. Furthermore, Soleimani’s death may cause a power vacuum within the Quds Forces and militia groups he established and backed.