Iran's Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani is believed to be alive after videos on social media appear to show the commander attending a rally in Tehran on Tuesday, held in celebration of the Islamic Republic's missile strike on US assets in Qatar.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Qaani was killed during an Israeli strike in Iran, with the outlet 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.
Qaani went missing in 2024
Qaani's whereabouts were reportedly unknown in October 2024, after an Israeli strike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's presumed successor, Hashem Safieddine.
According to a report from Middle East Eye, Qaani was alive and he and his team were placed under investigation in Iran following reports of security breaches in the Islamic Republic.
“The Iranians have serious suspicions that the Israelis have infiltrated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, especially those working in the Lebanese arena, so everyone is currently under investigation,” a source told the Middle East Eye at the time.
In addition, Israeli media, citing Sky News, reported in October that Qaani had suffered from a heart attack during interrogations.