Tehran: Iran’s Quds Force leader, Esmail Qaani, is “in good health” and actively fulfilling his responsibilities, according to the deputy commander of the Quds Force, Iraj Masjedi. Masjedi addressed these concerns after Iranian security sources informed Reuters that Qaani had been unreachable since the recent attacks on Beirut.
“He is in good health and is carrying out his activities. Some ask us to issue a statement… there is no need for this,” Masjedi said via state media, dismissing rumors circulating about Qaani’s wellbeing.
Speculation about Qaani’s status emerged from various media outlets, including Turkish and Israeli sources, which suggested that he might have been killed. The New York Times further fueled these rumors, citing unnamed Iranian IRGC officials, though no official confirmation came from Iranian authorities.
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There were also claims that Qaani was under close watch following Iran’s missile strikes on October 1, with fears that Israel could take retaliatory action. Some Saudi media went so far as to suggest that Qaani had been executed by Iran amid suspicions of his collaboration with Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency.
The speculation intensified after a missile strike in Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, where Qaani was reported to be present. While the strike was believed to have targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, Qaani was not meeting with Safieddine at the time, according to officials.
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Israel has conducted numerous strikes in Dahiyeh, aiming to weaken Hezbollah, a militant group supported by Iran.
Esmail Qaani took charge of the Quds Force in 2020 after the U.S. killed his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani, in a drone strike in Baghdad. Since assuming the role, Qaani has been pivotal in coordinating Iran’s military operations across the region.
