Iran Denies Rumor of Assassination of Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a swift and forceful denial, Iran has dismissed as "false" a rumor circulating on social media that the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) elite Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, had been assassinated. The Tasnim News Agency, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC, reported on Friday that the claim, which originated from virtual accounts linked to what it described as "the Zionist regime," was the latest in a long series of psychological operations designed to sow discord and anxiety.

This incident of disinformation comes just days after a rare and remarkably candid television interview in which General Qaani himself provided a detailed, first-hand account of the dramatic hours immediately following Hamas's October 7 attack, including a crucial late-night meeting in Beirut with the late Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, where the decision was made for Hezbollah to enter the fray.

According to the report by Tasnim's political group, the rumor of General Qaani's assassination is a tactic that has been employed "dozens of times" by what it calls the "Zionist regime" since the beginning of the "Al-Aqsa Storm," the name used by Iran and its allies for the October 7 operation. The news agency specifically pointed to a social media account named "Terror Alarm," which it described as being "affiliated with Mossad."

Tasnim alleged that this account "usually publishes a concoction of false and true news in the virtual space, the purpose of which is more psychological operations in favor of Mossad projects than publishing news," and noted that the account "has so far published false news about assassinations many, many times."

The report also referenced a recent interview in which General Qaani himself addressed the persistent rumors about his death, explaining the strategic purpose he believed lay behind them.

"The Zionist regime publishes news of my assassination so that friends become worried and call me, and they can find my exact location," Qaani had said in an interview last week, suggesting the rumors were a form of intelligence-gathering or a trap.

The denial of the assassination rumor comes on the heels of a significant and wide-ranging interview General Qaani gave to Iran's Channel One television, which was detailed by BBC Persian on October 4.

In that interview, the Quds Force commander provided an unprecedented look into the inner workings of the "Axis of Resistance" in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack. He recounted his urgent trip to Lebanon on the very day of the assault.

"On the afternoon of October 7th, I arrived in Lebanon," Qaani said. "When I arrived in Lebanon, I spoke with Mr. Sayyid [referring to Hassan Nasrallah] about the incident and the action that had taken place, and what should be done."

General Qaani was keen to emphasize the element of surprise and the operational autonomy of the Gaza-based commanders. "Neither I, nor Sayyid, nor even the main leaders of Hamas were aware of the details of the operation beforehand," he insisted.

He noted that the moment the operation was announced, the head of Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, was on his way to the airport for a trip to Iraq and had to turn back, proving he was also unaware of the precise timing.

"This surprising feature and meticulous planning are a sign of the firmness, strength, and wisdom of the Gaza commanders," Qaani stated, adding that "the high sensitivity of the operation required that its form and timing be this way."

The Quds Force commander also revealed the immediate and enthusiastic reaction of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to the news of the attack. "His Eminence said, 'I kiss the foreheads of those who did this'," Qaani recounted, describing the statement as "wise."

This aligns with the public stance of the Iranian leadership in the days following the attack. While Mr. Khamenei publicly praised the operation, he also denied Iran's direct involvement, stating that the attack was "the work of the Palestinians."

The most revealing part of General Qaani's interview was his detailed account of his late-night meeting with Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. He described a leader who, since that morning, had been deeply engaged in "examining his religious duty and Islamic and divine responsibility" regarding the unfolding events.

Qaani revealed that Nasrallah had already made the momentous decision to open a second front against Israel, but had made a crucial tactical adjustment to the timing. "Sayyid had decided to start the operation the next night," Qaani explained. "Martyr Nasrallah said that on Sundays in Lebanon, a large population goes to the south and the days are crowded, so it is better to postpone the start of the operation until night when movements and traffic are less and the conditions are more suitable for execution. This decision shows a wise and prudent behavior that was immediately implemented."

This decision by Nasrallah, made in consultation with Qaani, marked the beginning of a brutal, two-year war of attrition between Hezbollah and Israel, which ran parallel to the devastating war in Gaza. That conflict ultimately led to Nasrallah's own death.

A year after the October 7 attack, Israel targeted the headquarters of Hezbollah in southern Beirut, killing both Hassan Nasrallah and his deputy, Hashem Safieddine. In his interview, General Qaani made the explosive claim that the Israeli strike was not a conventional bombing but a "war crime" involving chemical agents.

"The Zionist regime used the heaviest bombs in the world. In addition to explosives, the regime used chemical materials," he alleged. "That is, a chemical operation also took place, it was not just an explosion; because the main cause of his martyrdom was not just the explosion... the type of materials was such that it led to his martyrdom."

The death of Nasrallah was part of a series of major escalations in the region, which included a direct, 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June of this year, and an Israeli strike on the headquarters of Hamas leaders in Qatar in September, for which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later apologized with the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump.

This period of intense, open conflict has been accompanied by a relentless shadow war of assassinations and psychological operations, a context in which rumors, such as the one about General Qaani's death, become potent weapons. The quick and direct denial from Tehran underscores the high stakes and the tense, hair-trigger atmosphere that continues to pervade the region.