By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI – Iran’s top commander being a Mossad agent as propagated through international media, including the mainstream Indian media, has subsided after the public appearance of Esmail Qaani.
The Iranian Embassy in India has strongly refuted the assertions about Qaani being a Mossad spy and labelled them as fake news.
The Embassy said in a statement: “We strongly deny the allegation that Esmail Qaani is a Mossad agent. Such claims are baseless and lack any credibility.” The Embassy also highlighted that the IRGC has officially announced that Qaani is set to receive the highest military honour from Ayatollah Khamenei, dispelling rumours about any investigations or accusations against him.
Meanwhile, the Tehran Times closely linked with the Iranian government reported that Eamail Qaani was the target of a Zionist disinformation campaign amid rising regional tensions.
The false news story about Commander Qaani’s disappearance was first reported by the Reuters news agency which, the Tehran Times claims, is known for a history of false reporting about Iran. It was followed by a story filed by the Qatari-funded Middle East Eye claiming through its independent sources that Qaani was under house arrest and was being interrogated by the Islamic Republic’s intelligence sleuths. Even after a protest from Iran, Middle East Eye stood to its position by quoting anonymous sources in Iraq and Lebanon. Tehran Times reported that this false news was followed by “Iran International, a Persian-language outlet linked to the Zionist regime and covertly directed by Manouchehr Amir, a former director of Radio Israel.” Iran International cited an “informed source” claiming that Commander Qaani’s family also had no news regarding his whereabouts or what he was doing.
The disappearance of Esmail Qaani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) elite Quds Force, had given a new twist to the ongoing aggression of Israel against Palestine and Lebanon amid widespread speculations that he was a Mossad spy involved in the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Mossad has been given credit for Israel’s operations in which the war on Gaza has been extended beyond its borders.
Qaani, 67, who travelled to Lebanon after Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month, was not heard for several days. As he was in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Dahiyeh, during a strike that reportedly targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, it led to claims that he was an agent of Mossad. Initial reports suggested that Qaani was under house arrest and was being interrogated on suspicion of being an Israeli spy.
Qaani was appointed as the head of the Quds Force after Qassem Soleimani’s assassination by the U.S. in 2020. His role involves managing Tehran’s paramilitary allies across the Middle East and globally. While Soleimani commanded significant respect and maintained close ties with Iran’s regional allies, Qaani has not been able to match that level of influence or authority, as noted by military analysts and those familiar with both men.
Under Qaani’s leadership, Iranian proxies like Hezbollah and Iraqi militias have faced increased pressure, particularly from Israeli forces, contrasting with the expansion of their influence under Soleimani. Qaani was born in Iran’s Mashhad town and had fought in the Iran-Iraq war. He became deputy commander of the Quds Force in 1997. He also has experience in Afghanistan and Pakistan but lacks fluency in Arabic, unlike Soleimani.
Unlike his predecessor, who was frequently seen on battlefields, Qaani prefers a more discreet approach, conducting private meetings and keeping a lower profile in his leadership of the Quds Force. His continued absence in Iran gave rise to speculation that he had an underhand dealing with Mossad and was assisting Israel in its horrific crimes against humanity by killing thousands of people in Gaza, the West Bank and elsewhere.
However, Qaani appeared in public on October 15 after several weeks of absence in Iran to attend the funeral ceremony for General Abbas Nilforoushan, who was killed last month in Lebanon. Nilforoushan, a general in IRGC, was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut alongside Nasrallah.
Qaani was present at the funeral, clad in the IRGC’s green military uniform. Nilforoushan’s casket was paraded through the packed streets of Tehran after a funeral ceremony at Imam Hossein Square in the city centre. Thousands attended the funeral procession, many of them carrying yellow Hezbollah banners and Iranian and Palestinian flags and chanting “Death to Israel.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the Islamic Republic would use all its capacities to bring Israel to account for the deaths. On October 1, Iran launched 200 missiles on Israel in retaliation for the death of Nilforoushan and Nasrallah, in its second-ever direct attack on the Jewish country. The attack was also in retaliation for Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in July while he was in Tehran to attend an inauguration ceremony for Iran’s President.
Iran has in recent days engaged in high-level diplomatic talks around establishing a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza, as well as ways to prevent the conflict from spreading across the region. On a visit to Baghdad, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran was fully prepared for a war situation, but added: “We do not want war, we want peace.”
Qaani’s appearance in public follows conflicting reports about his death, with some rumours claiming that he was killed in an Israeli strike. Other reports suggest internal struggles within Iran’s leadership, indicating that this could be the beginning of a larger power play.
Iranian authorities have serious suspicions about a major security breach in Qaani’s office, though none of the government sources has said that Qaani was involved. Iranian authorities have not commented on reports that Qaani was questioned. Initial findings of the investigation suggest that Qaani’s perceived negligence and weak management had led to untrustworthy people entering his office and that these may have been the cause of security breaches that led to Nasrallah’s death.
Qaani reportedly returned to Tehran on the plane of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who made a brief visit to Beirut on October 4. An IRGC advisor had said last week that Qaani was in perfect health and was expected to receive a medal from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the coming days.
The Iranian Embassy in India has strongly refuted the assertions about Qaani being a Mossad spy and labelled them as fake news. The Embassy said in a statement: “We strongly deny the allegation that Esmail Qaani is a Mossad agent. Such claims are baseless and lack any credibility.” The Embassy also highlighted that the IRGC has officially announced that Qaani is set to receive the highest military honour from Ayatollah Khamenei, dispelling rumours about any investigations or accusations against him.
The experts on Middle Eastern affairs believe that Iran will extend an unwavering support to Qaani, reflecting his respected position within the IRGC, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani. Iranian authorities have maintained that these allegations are part of a disinformation campaign to destabilize the region and tarnish the reputation of its military leadership.
