https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B15YmbIIIAENCY6.jpg
I follow iranian online media and if I had to buy stocks of political figures in Iran I would buy Ghasem Soleimani & Javad Zarif stocks. These 2 guys are popular even among the Zedde Velayate Faghih people. Above is a selfie of GS. I can understand Zarif's popularity but GS? What am I missing?
What you're missing about GS is that first of all most people realize and recognize that this guy's religious beliefs (right or wrong) are genuine and not motivated by post, position, money, or popularity.
2nd most Iranians recognize not only his past contributions and sacrifices to protect and preserve Iran's borders but more so his genuine love of the country and doing everything in his power to protect Iran and Iranians from foreign threats (be it extremists in the neighboring countries or foreign threats in the region and beyond).
3rd, most Iranians appreciate the fact that GS funds his operations and units without getting any financial aid or support from the Iranian government or selling of Iranian natural resources. He funds his operations and units that are designed to protect Iranians and Iranian borders from money he collects from other countries and that is a something extremely rare in the world and history all together.
4th, there is just something attractive and charismatic for most people from any country or culture about a man who is not only a fearless warrior and not afraid of dying in the battlefield, but at the same time not afraid of showing his emotions and sorrow by crying in public for his fallen comrades.