Iran's Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani also killed during an Israeli strike
Qaani succeeded Qasem Soleimani as commander after the latter was killed in a targeted operation by the United States in 2020.
Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, was killed during an Israeli strike in Iran,
The New York Times
reported on Friday evening, citing an Iranian source.
Qaani succeeded Qasem Soleimani as commander after the latter was killed in a targeted operation by the United States in 2020.
Israeli strikes on Friday morning dealt a major blow to Iran's chain of command by killing three of its top generals, according to Iranian state media and officials.
The Israeli military confirmed the deaths of the three Iranian commanders. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, moved swiftly to replace the military leaders in an apparent bid to project stability and prevent a power vacuum. Iranian state media reported that Ayatollah Khamenei had appointed replacements for the army's chief of staff and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps — both of whom were killed in the wave of strikes. At least one other top general was killed, according to the Israeli military, a claim that Iran did not immediately comment on.
Two scientists who played leading roles in Iran's nuclear development were also killed on Friday, according to Iranian state media.
Was an Iranian
brigadier general
in the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) who served as the commander of its
Quds Force
, an IRGC elite
special operations force
responsible for
extraterritorial operations
, from 2020 to 2025. The
Supreme Leader of Iran
,
Ali Khamenei
, appointed Qaani to succeed
Qasem Soleimani
as commander of the
Quds Force
, after
Soleimani's assassination
in January 2020.
Following the assassination of former Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, reports in Lebanon and Iran claimed that Qaani (67) was the man who revealed to Israeli Mossad the exact location of Nasrallah. Qaani was reportedly interrogated in Iran over the issue.
In October 2024, Qaani was thought to have been killed or injured along with
Hashem Safieddine
in the
October 2024 Dahieh airstrike
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
MTV Lebanon
2 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
Iran: No justification for continuing talks; our focus now is confronting the enemy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the continuation of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran is "unjustifiable." In a call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Araghchi said that 'Israel's hostile actions stem from direct US support,' emphasizing that 'ongoing indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States are unjustifiable while the Zionist regime's brutality continues.' The Iranian minister condemned the 'violation of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the attacks on nuclear facilities and residential areas, which have led to the deaths of military personnel, university professors, women, and children.' He called for a 'decisive global response and international condemnation of Israeli aggression.' Araghchi further stressed that 'attacking peaceful nuclear facilities is illegal and strictly prohibited under international law, and the international community is obligated to hold the Zionist regime accountable for this grave and unprecedented violation.' Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a statement ahead of the scheduled Sunday talks: 'It is clear that under such circumstances, and as long as the Zionist regime's aggression against the Iranian nation continues, engaging in dialogue with a party that is the biggest supporter and partner of the aggressor is meaningless.' He added that 'Iran's diplomatic apparatus is currently fully focused on confronting Israeli aggression,' and noted that 'despite all its claims about dialogue and diplomacy, the United States is complicit with Israel, including in the targeting of peaceful Iranian nuclear facilities.'
Al Manar
3 hours ago
- Al Manar
Sayyed Houthi: Israeli Aggression on Iran Comes in Context of Targeting Its Model of Independence
Head of Yemen's Ansarullah Movement Sayyed Abdul Malik Badreddine Al-Houthi indicated that the Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran came within a broader Western effort that views Iran as an independent model supportive for the Palestinian cause. In a televised speech on the occasion of the Day of Wilaya, Sayyed Houthi said that the Israeli enemy, backed by the West, sees the Islamic Republic of Iran as a nation building a civilizational renaissance and an Islamic power. 'The Israeli, American, British, and their allies do not want any independent state among Muslims that does not submit to their authority. The Israeli enemy is criminal and audacious in committing such a heinous crime—an enemy with absolutely no justification for its aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.' All the fabrications, pretexts, and excuses promoted by the Israeli enemy are utterly absurd. he said, highlighting the positions of Arab and Islamic countries united in condemning the Israeli aggression against Iran, as a good and positive development. In its aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Israeli enemy violates the airspace of Arab countries without concern, Sayyed Houthi underlined, adding that the Ummah must restore the equation of deterrence against the Israeli enemy, rather than accepting the equation of unchecked aggression. 'The American, British, French, and the Western community in general seek only to contain the Iranian response. If the West fails to contain Iran's response through political pressure and other means, their direction will be to cooperate with the enemy to confront Iran's retaliation.' We in Yemen support the Iranian response and are partners in this stance with everything we can offer, Sayyed Houthi said, extending condolences to the Iranian leadership and people, and congratulations on martyrdom of a number of officials, experts and citizens. Sayyed Houthi affirmed that any Islamic country that engages in a confrontation with the Israeli enemy must be supported, as that is the true responsibility and interest of the Ummah. 'We continue to support Gaza, stand by the Palestinian people, and remain engaged in an open war with the Israeli enemy. Our stance is firm and ongoing as part of our jihadi duties in the path of Allah Almighty.' Iranian Armed Forces shot down Israeli drones on Saturday as the Zionist entity goes on with its aggression on the Islamic Republic for the second day.
Nahar Net
4 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Israel's defense minister warns Iran that 'Tehran will burn' if it continues firing missiles
Israel's defense minister warns Iran that 'Tehran will burn' if it continues firing missiles Israel's defense minister warned Iran on Saturday that "Tehran will burn" if it continues firing missiles. Speaking after an assessment meeting with the army's chief of staff, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Iran will pay a heavy price for harming Israeli citizens. His comments come after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel overnight Saturday following Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear program Friday morning.
