The Iranian general’s whereabouts are under scrutiny amid reports that he is under investigation for his involvement in Israel’s dismantling of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, who heads Iran’s elite Quds Force, has not been seen in public since Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a massive airstrike on Beirut on September 27th.
General Esmail Qaani has not been seen in public since Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a major airstrike on Beirut on September 27. AFP via Getty Images
Some Arab news outlets have reported how the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was able to determine how Israel ousted the terrorist movement’s top leadership and determined where and when it was discovered. It said Mr Khani is alive and unharmed but is under guard as the investigation continues.
Other reports, including Sky News Arabic, said Mr Qani was being investigated for alleged ties to Israel. The newspaper also reported that the general suffered a heart attack during interrogation.
Hashem Saffieddin, the terrorist who was to be Nasrallah’s successor, was also most likely killed in the October 4 airstrike on the Beirut base in Lebanon, which left senior Iranian commanders at risk. There was growing suspicion that this was the case.
If Saffieddin is killed, he would be the latest of more than a dozen Hezbollah officials killed by Israel in recent weeks as the Jewish state steps up its offensive against the Iranian-backed terror group.
In addition to targeted airstrikes against Hezbollah leadership in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces also launched ground air strikes against the terrorist group to destroy weapons depots and infrastructure.
The Israeli military said last week’s attacks destroyed multiple tunnels and rocket launch facilities along the border and killed more than 200 Hezbollah operatives.
Several Arab news outlets claim Qaani is alive, despite other sources saying otherwise. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Suspicion also arose after Hashem Saffieddin, the terrorist who aspired to succeed Nasrallah, was most likely killed in an airstrike on the Beirut base in Lebanon on October 4. AFP (via Getty Images)
IDF officials and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they would continue operations in Lebanon until it was confirmed that Hezbollah no longer posed a threat to northern Israel, where tens of thousands of people have fled.
Iran’s Quds Force supports the anti-Israel “Axis of Resistance,” which is made up of regional terrorist organizations such as Palestinian Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Qani succeeded Qassem Soleimani, the former Quds leader who was assassinated by the US in 2020. After taking over from Soleimani, he reportedly worked tirelessly to supply, train and coordinate terrorist groups in the region.
