Iran's Quds Force Commander Reportedly Executed Over Mossad Spy Allegations
Unverified reports circulating in regional media allege that Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, has been arrested and executed by the Iranian regime on suspicion of espionage for Israel.
The claims follow the joint US-Israeli airstrike last Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Qaani, aged 68, was the highest-ranking IRGC figure not present at the Tehran presidential palace when it was destroyed in the large-scale operation involving dozens of Israeli fighter jets.
According to unconfirmed reports, Qaani is suspected of providing vital intelligence that enabled the precise strike on Khamenei's underground command bunker. He has long been nicknamed "The Man With Nine Lives" for narrowly escaping several Israeli operations that targeted other senior figures, including former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and more than 40 prominent allies and subordinates.
Qaani took command of the Quds Force—the IRGC's external operations unit responsible for arming and coordinating the "Axis of Resistance" across the Middle East—in January 2020, following the US drone strike that killed his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani.
Iranian state media confirmed Khamenei's death at age 86, but no official statement has been issued regarding Qaani's status or whereabouts since the attack. The silence from Tehran has heightened speculation about internal power struggles and the extent of foreign intelligence infiltration at the highest levels of the Iranian state.
If confirmed, the alleged execution would signify a significant purge within the IRGC amid the regime's most critical vulnerabilities. Tehran has not commented on the reports, and no independent verification of Qaani's arrest or death has emerged.
The reports coincide with Iran's response to the strikes through retaliatory actions, including attacks on regional targets, while Israel continues its military operations. The situation remains fluid, with considerable uncertainty surrounding the fate of key Iranian military leaders.