The whereabouts of Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani remain unknown after two weeks of speculation. Rumors circulated that Qaani was killed in a Beirut airstrike, and later reports claimed he suffered a heart attack during interrogation over alleged links to Israel. Iran has dismissed these reports as "fake news."
On Friday, Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei plans to award Qaani an honor on Monday, following a similar award given to Iran's Air and Space Force commander for the ballistic missile attacks on Israel earlier this month. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Al Mayadeen that rumors about Qaani are "false" and that he is continuing his duties.
Despite these reassurances, Qaani has not been seen publicly for two weeks, fueling speculation. Last Thursday, Sky News Arabia cited Iranian sources claiming Qaani was under investigation for an intelligence breach and suffered a heart attack during questioning. His chief of staff was reportedly under suspicion for links to Israel.
Last week, senior Iranian security officials said Qaani went missing after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s Dahieh district targeting senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine. While Israeli officials have not confirmed Safieddine death, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement hinting at it. Sources told Reuters that Qaani was in Dahieh during the strike but did not meet with Safieddine at the time. Qaani was last seen publicly on Sunday of the previous week in Tehran alongside Safieddine's brother.
The New York Times also reported on Qaani’s disappearance, saying that his trip to Beirut aimed to assist Hezbollah leaders after a series of Israeli strikes. According to a Revolutionary Guard member stationed in Beirut, Iran’s silence on Qaani has caused unease within the ranks of the Revolutionary Guard.
The report further claimed Qaani had visited the Iraq-Syria-Lebanon corridor several times since October 7 and was supposed to attend a Hezbollah meeting targeted by an Israeli strike, but canceled at the last minute.
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