As per several reports, Esmail Qaani may be dead or wounded. He was absent from Friday prayers led by Iran’s Supreme Leader. Notably, he succeeded Qassem Soleimani as Iran’s leader for foreign operations.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani has reportedly gone missing following Israeli airstrikes in Beirut on Friday. Some Turkish and Israeli news outlets have speculated that Qaani may have been killed in the strikes. However, Iranian media has remained silent on the commander’s status, whether missing or dead. Reports suggest that the airstrikes in Beirut’s Dahiyeh targeted Hashem Safieddine, the successor to slain Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Safieddine has also been reported unreachable following the strikes.
The Iranian brigadier-general was present in Dahiyeh during the airstrikes and could have been injured, Israeli N12 news reported. Another Israeli news outlet Channel 12 claimed Qaani’s death citing Lebanese authorities.
However, there is no official statement has been issued by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) over the killing of the Iranian commander.
Some reports suggest Qaani might have been under strict observation due to the increased possibility of Israeli repercussions in response to Iran’s missile assaults on October 1st.
Some Saudi media outlets even speculated that Iran could have done away with Qaani, accusing him of collaborating with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
His absence was distinctly noted during the Friday prayers led by Iran’s Supreme Spiritual Leader Ali Khamenei. The New York Times featured an article that labelled Qaani’s travel to Beirut as a consultation with Hezbollah officials in the wake of Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Esmail Qaani
In January 2020, following the death of Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike near Baghdad’s International Airport, Esmail Qaani stepped into Soleimani’s shoes as the leader of Iran’s foreign operations. His assassination led to Qaani playing a central role in shaping Iran’s military strategy. Before taking command of the Quds Force, Qaani had experience dealing with counterintelligence and managing drug operations in Afghanistan and Iran.