Esamil Ghaani, the Iranian general appointed to replace the late General Soleimani, who was targeted in a U.S. airstrike, has revealed a huge spiritual factor in Iran's military and political goals.
In a report translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), General Ghaani said in part, "we will take many measures to remove the American presence from the region, and we will continue the movement to bring about the global rule of the Hidden Imam. None of us will accept anything less than that."
Simply put, without digging deeply into Islamic theology, the Hidden Imam is a religious leader hidden by 'Allah' centuries ago. He is predicted to reappear at the end of history as "al-Mahdi," essentially a messiah-like figure that will bring peace and justice to earth, in Muslim fashion.
Unlike Christian prophetic beliefs, the Hidden Imam will return - at some point - with Isa (Jesus) by his side. But as Muslims do not believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Islamic belief of who this Isa (Jesus) would be is much different than traditional Christian beliefs.
Video of the IRIB News (Iran) interview with General Ghaani, with translation by MEMRI.