TEHRAN — Emerging reports from the Iranian capital indicate that Esmail Qaani, the Commander of the elite Quds Force, has been executed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on charges of espionage.
The execution follows a period of intense internal scrutiny after the commander survived a series of high-profile Israeli strikes that decimated Iran’s top leadership, including the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 1.
From Survival to Suspicion
Qaani’s “miraculous” ability to escape multiple targeted attacks that killed his deputies and superiors reportedly triggered deep suspicion within the IRGC’s intelligence wing. Sources suggest that the Revolutionary Guard became convinced that his survival was not a matter of luck, but the result of a deal with foreign intelligence.
The military leadership allegedly accused Qaani of being a Mossad agent, claiming he provided the precise coordinates and timing of the Supreme Leader’s movements in exchange for his own safety.