Reports suggest that on October 4, Israel may have killed or injured Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, during an airstrike in Beirut.
The strike targeted Hashem Safi ed Din, a high-ranking Hezbollah official and presumed successor to the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. According to sources like the New York Times and Reuters, Qaani was in Beirut at the time, helping Hezbollah recover from recent Israeli attacks. Since the airstrike, Iran and Hezbollah have been unable to contact Qaani.
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An Iranian security official told Reuters that Qaani was not meeting Safi ed Din during the airstrike. Qaani was last seen publicly in Tehran on September 29 but has since been absent from key regime events, including a Friday prayer led by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a meeting with Iranian military leaders. This has fueled speculation, and some Iranian officials and media have urged the regime to clarify whether Qaani is alive.
Meanwhile, Israel has signaled its intention to retaliate against Iran for a ballistic missile attack on October 1. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Israel will respond to Iran in due time, adding that the missile attack, which hit Israel’s Nevatim airbase, caused only minor damage. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also indicated that Iran’s actions “deserve a response.”
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In anticipation of possible Israeli retaliation, Iran has taken several precautionary measures. The country has canceled civilian flights, evacuated oil tankers from key terminals, and tightened security around critical energy infrastructure, including the South Pars gas field.
On the ground in southern Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been actively dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, engaging Hezbollah’s Radwan special forces and destroying tunnels, weapons depots, and military headquarters. These actions are part of Israel’s broader effort to prevent Hezbollah attacks along the Israel-Lebanon border.
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