The top Commander of Iran's Quds Force Esmail Qaani is in 'good health', the force's deputy commander Iraj Masjedi said on Monday, after Iranian security sources told Reuters he had been out of contact since strikes on Beirut last week.
Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters
The top Commander of Iran's Quds Force Esmail Qaani is in 'good health', the force's deputy commander Iraj Masjedi said on Monday, after Iranian security sources told Reuters he had been out of contact since strikes on Beirut last week.
"He is in good health and is carrying out his activities. Some ask us to issue a statement... there is no need for this", Masjedi was quoted as saying by state media in reference to Qaani.
One of the officials speaking to Reuters said Qaani was in Beirut's southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, during a strike last week that was reported to have targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine. The official said he was not meeting Safieddine.
Israel has been hitting multiple targets in Dahiyeh as it pursues a campaign against Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Tehran named Qaani the head of the Revolutionary Guards Corps' overseas military-intelligence service after the United States assassinated his powerful predecessor Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.
The Quds Force heavily influences its allied armed groups across the Middle East.
Reporting by Elwely Elwelly
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel under US mediation, calling it an important step toward restoring Lebanese sovereignty and securing a full Israeli withdrawal from the south.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Raggi received a call Saturday from his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, who congratulated Beirut on signing the framework agreement with Israel negotiated under American auspices.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected a U.S.-brokered security agreement between Lebanon and Israel on Saturday a day after it was signed, describing it as a surrender to Israel.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.