Esmail Qaani, head of Iran’s Quds Force and dubbed “the man with nine lives,” has been the subject of unconfirmed reports suggesting he was executed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for allegedly spying for Israel. The claims emerged amid speculation about his survival of an attack that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has not officially confirmed the reports, but Arab media outlets have circulated accounts of Qaani’s arrest and potential execution. These rumors follow years of speculation about his survival of multiple assassination attempts. Qaani, known for evading deadly strikes, was not among those killed in the 2025 attack that targeted Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials. Unverified reports claim he left the site minutes before the strike occurred. Qaani’s reputation for surviving attacks dates back to his early career. In October 2024, he was declared dead by some media outlets but later appeared on television after being interrogated. Similar incidents occurred in 2025 during a 12-day conflict, when he was again reported dead before resurfacing on state TV. His ability to evade attacks has fueled suspicions about his role in Iran’s security operations. The latest claims link Qaani to alleged espionage ties with Israel. Social media accounts, including one tied to Mossad, previously denied these accusations. However, recent reports suggest Iran launched an investigation into security breaches following Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah leadership. These inquiries reportedly led to claims that Qaani was executed by the IRGC after being detained for alleged ties to Mossad. Tehran has denied the allegations, according to some sources. Qaani assumed leadership of the Quds Force in January 2020 after the U.S.#iran #esmail_qaani #quds_force #islamic_revolutionary_guard_corps #mossad
