Esmail Qaani, the leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, is reportedly under investigation after a series of Israeli strikes killed key figures in the Hezbollah leadership, according to an exclusive report from Middle East Eye. Qaani, who took over the Quds Force following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in 2020, has not been seen in public since Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a massive airstrike in Beirut on September 27.
According to multiple sources, Qaani is currently being detained as Iran investigates how Israeli forces were able to penetrate Hezbollah’s top leadership. The investigation stems from Israel’s successful airstrikes, which have resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking members of the anti-Israel Axis of Resistance. These include Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, his presumed successor, who was killed in a subsequent Israeli airstrike on October 4.
While official reports maintain that Qaani is unharmed, sources suggest he is being held under guard as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seeks to understand the depth of the security breach. Some Iranian officials suspect that Israeli forces have infiltrated the IRGC, raising serious concerns about internal security within Iran’s military leadership.
The ongoing investigation marks a critical moment for the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance, as it faces severe losses in its leadership ranks and growing concerns over potential internal compromise. The full extent of the breach remains uncertain, but the investigations are expected to continue under the supervision of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.