Unverified reports claim Iran’s Quds force chief taken into custody over suspicion of being Mossad working for Israel
According to the reports, Qaani was allegedly seen in the presence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as recently as yesterday (Saturday), but subsequently disappeared from public view and was later alleged to be in custody over suspicions of espionage.
Tehran — Reports circulating on social media and in some foreign news outlets say Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, has been taken into custody by elements within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) amid allegations of suspected links to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad.
The claims have not been confirmed by official Iranian authorities.
Qaani, who succeeded the late Qasem Soleimani as head of the Quds Force in 2020, has been a prominent figure in Iran’s regional military strategy, surviving past assassination attempts and remaining an active commander through years of heightened tensions with Israel and the United States.
According to the reports, Qaani was allegedly seen in the presence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as recently as yesterday (Saturday), but subsequently disappeared from public view and was later alleged to be in custody over suspicions of espionage.
These allegations remain unverified by independent sources and have not been acknowledged by Iranian state media or the IRGC.
Earlier in 2024 and 2025, conflicting accounts emerged about Qaani’s status after intense Israeli strikes during the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, including suggestions he might be under investigation or in protective custody in Iran amid broader security inquiries. Iranian officials publicly denied reports of his detention at that time, and state media maintained he was “healthy and active.”
The current claims add to longstanding speculation within some international media and online commentary regarding internal divisions and intelligence concerns within Iran’s security establishment, though independent confirmation remains absent.
