Iranian general Esmail Qaani, head of the al-Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is alive but is reportedly in custody and under investigation in Iran, according to information revealed on Thursday by the British media outlet Middle East Eye (MEE).
During his interrogation, Qaani reportedly suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital, reports United Arab Emirates-based Sky News Arabia.
The reason for his isolation is said to be related to significant security breaches within the pro-Iranian axis, according to at least ten sources close to the matter, cited by MEE. These breaches came to light after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on September 27 in Beirut.
The IRGC is investigating how Israel managed to infiltrate Hezbollah's top leadership and locate Nasrallah. According to sources interviewed by the media outlet, suspicions are growing about Israeli intelligence infiltration of Iranian operations, particularly in Lebanon. These suspicions have been further fueled by the attack on Nasrallah’s supposed successor as head of the pro-Iranian group, his cousin Hashem Safieddine.
According to MEE, a Hezbollah insider reportedly stated, "The breach was 100% Iranian, and there’s no doubt about it."
Esmail Qaani took over leadership of the Quds Force after the assassination of his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani, by the US in 2020. In recent months, Israel has targeted several key figures in the Axis of Resistance, raising concerns about internal compromises within Iranian and Hezbollah leadership.
Comments