IRGC: Commander Esmail Qaani of the Quds Force set to be honored with a prestigious award from the Supreme Leader
An advisor to the chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has confirmed that Brigadier General Esmail Qaani is in good health and is scheduled to be awarded the Order of Fat'h (Conquest) by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in the near future.
Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabari addressed the situation on Wednesday, following speculation from Western media regarding the possible injury or death of the IRGC Quds Force commander during a significant Israeli airstrike last week. The attack reportedly aimed at senior Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine in the heavily populated southern Beirut district of Dahiyeh.
In a recent address to the 7th International Conference on Solidarity with Palestinian Children and Adolescents, Qaani conveyed a message underscoring the significance of supporting young Palestinians.
On Monday, the Quds Force commander conveyed his greetings to attendees of the event, expressing sincere regret for his absence at the conference, citing obligations at another significant meeting as the reason for his inability to attend.
Amid continued reporting by Western media outlets, there remains no confirmed information regarding the current location of Qaani, a notable military leader in Iran. These reports have accused Iranian authorities of maintaining silence on his apparent absence in recent days.
On January 3, 2020, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei named Esmail Qaani as the new commander of the Quds Force, the overseas branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, succeeding General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a targeted U.S. strike.
He portrayed Qaani as a key figure within the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq War, a conflict initiated by Saddam Hussein that spanned eight years beginning in 1980.
Prior to his appointment as the head of the elite Quds Force, Qaani held the position of deputy commander within the same unit.
