Deputy of Quds Force: Qaani is Well and No Statement is Needed

On Tuesday, October 8, the deputy coordinator of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that Ismail Qaani, the commander of this force, is "well." According to the Tasnim news agency, close to the IRGC, Iraj Masjedi added: "Many of us ask what happened to General Qaani? He is in good health and busy with activities." In global norms, when rumors about the health or absence of a senior government official arise, that individual typically disproves the rumors by releasing a video or appearing live on television. However, Mr. Masjedi said: "Some say that (if he is well and alive) you should issue a statement, and we respond by asking why a statement is needed? Such an action is unnecessary." Meanwhile, ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday that Ismail Qaani sent a message to the "International Conference of Solidarity with Palestinian Children and Adolescents." This news agency quoted the program's host as saying that the Quds Force commander "could not attend this conference due to his presence at another important meeting" and therefore sent his "greetings to the participants." The New York Times reported on October 7, citing three Iranian sources, that Ismail Qaani was last seen in Beirut last week. This report was the first mention of the Quds Force commander's trip to the Lebanese capital in a mainstream Western media outlet amid some media speculation regarding the possibility of Qaani being injured or killed. One of the three sources that the New York Times spoke with, who identified him as part of the IRGC forces stationed in Beirut, added: "Iran's silence regarding Ismail Qaani's fate has created panic among these forces." Reuters also reported on the evening of October 7, citing "two senior Iranian security officials," that there has been no news of Ismail Qaani since the Israeli attack on southern Beirut last Friday. These two officials stated that since that bombing, Qaani has been "unavailable." Israel apparently carried out the bombing with the aim of eliminating Hashem Safi al-Din, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council and Jihad Council, which was described as heavier than the bombing on October 1 that targeted Hassan Nasrallah. The Times of Israel, citing a military source from that country, reported that the target of the Israeli airstrike in Beirut last week was not the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Republic. The Israeli military source told the Times of Israel that if Ismail Qaani was with Hashem Safi al-Din at the time of the attack in Dahieh, the Israeli army was unaware of this and the Quds Force commander was not the target of the attack. The last published images of Ismail Qaani in Iran were from early last week when he visited the Hezbollah representative office in Tehran to express condolences for the death of Hassan Nasrallah. He met there with Abdullah Safi al-Din, Hezbollah's representative in Iran, who is the younger brother of Hashem Safi al-Din and the uncle of Zainab Soleimani, the daughter of Qassem Soleimani, the slain commander of the Quds Force. Ismail Qaani, 67, was appointed commander of this force after the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in January 2020. The Quds Force, one of the five branches of the IRGC, is responsible for supporting Tehran's proxy groups in the region.