section_path: Political views and style/Influence
section_name: Influence
paragraph_text: Influence
  
  According to The Jerusalem Post, Salami played a significant role in shaping Iran's regional strategy. Under his influence, the Iranian regime expanded its activities across the Middle East, including increased involvement in Iraq, military support for the Syrian Government during the Syrian civil war, and backing for Hezbollah. After 2015 Iran also began supporting the Houthis in Yemen, reportedly providing them with missiles and drones used in attacks against Saudi Arabia.
  
  According to researcher Mehdi Khalaji in 2019, Salami used psychological warfare, and relied on "innovatively circumventing economic sanctions, developing Iran's missile programme and maintaining the regime's defiant regional policy". According to The Jerusalem Post, Salami was not only a leading military commander but also a public advocate of Iran's strategic stance. He made several high-profile statements emphasizing Iran's capabilities, including remarks in 2019 and 2021 asserting that Iran could destroy Israel.