Tehran: Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday dismissed rumours that one of its top generals, Esmail Qa’ani, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.
"Many people ask us how General [Esmail] Qa’ani is doing. He is in good health and active ... Some say we should make a statement. Why a statement? There is no reason for such a measure,” IRGC Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi said at a press conference in Tehran, according to the Iranian news agency Mehr.Qa’ani is the commander of the elite Quds Force, one of five branches of the IRGC, and oversees Iran’s military and intelligence operations abroad, primarily in the Middle East.
He took over the role in 2020 after his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq. Soleimani was considered to be the architect of Iran’s so-called "Axis of Resistance,” a network of groups fighting against Israel. (dpa)