Lahore, Jan. 6 -- THE commander of the Quds force of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, an armed force separate from the regular army, he was sometimes compared to Erwin Rommel and described as the single most powerful player in the wars in Syria. A decorated veteran of the Iran-Iraq war from a humble background, he portrayed himself as an uncompromising defender of the 1979 revolution. He was posited as a potential future presidential candidate for Iran's hardline faction. Iran has vowed to retaliate against the US airstrike, calling the move America's "biggest mistake in west Asia" and threatening "severe vengeance" Iran's Supreme National Security Council has issued a statement vowing to retaliate "in the right place and time". "America sho...