Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, resurfaced on Thursday with a message to his forces, after an absence that led to speculation that he was killed by a U.S. or Israeli airstrike.
Qaani addressed his message to the “mujahideen and brave men of the resistance front,” and congratulated them for giving “regrettable lessons to the enemies of humanity.”
Qaani praised his troops as “decisive,” “brave,” and “heroic,” thanked them for making “exemplary efforts” during combat with Israel and the United States, and metaphorically “kissed each of your hands” to show his appreciation.
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Qaani is the commander of the Quds Force, the unit of the IRGC that conducts terrorism and destabilization operations in foreign countries. He was appointed to the post by former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in January 2020 after his predecessor, Brig. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, was eliminated by a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq.
Ali Khamenei was killed by an Israeli airstrike at the commencement of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026.
Qaani has disappeared from view before, prompting speculation he was eliminated by an airstrike, or perhaps even executed by the regime. His messages are generally written communiques or audio recordings of uncertain origin, rather than ironclad proof of life, keeping rumors of his demise from fading entirely.
In addition to his message of gratitude to IRGC forces, Qaani issued a statement on Friday blasting Israel for killing Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon with airstrikes on Thursday, and vowing revenge.
“The history of the Zionist regime is full of crimes against humanity and the slaughter of innocent people, especially women and children. The criminal and child-killing Netanyahu, through today’s atrocities in Lebanon, attempted to show that he is even more ruthless and cold-hearted than his supporter, the United States,” his statement said.
