ALBAWABA - Questions were raised after the disappearance of Esmail Qaani, the chief of the Quds Force, which is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
"Where's Esmail Qaani?", Iranian newspapers and media outlets questioned the fate of the Quds Force chief after the Iranian army lost contact with him amid the ongoing Israeli aggressive airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon.
Esmail Qaani became the leader of the Quds Force after the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in an American airstrike in Iraq's Baghdad.
The fate of the Iranian commander is still unknown raising speculations and increased rumors about whether he was injured or killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut. The New York Times reported citing three unnamed Iranian officials that Qaani was last seen in Beirut last week to assist Hezbollah amid war.
In addition, another IRGC member, who resides in Beirut, told The Times that Iran's silence on the fate of Esmail Qaani is sparking more fear and panic among the paramilitary forces.
Channel 12 reported that the Israeli army is investigating the possibility that the Quds Force commander was injured in an Israeli raid on Beirut last Friday, in the same attack that targeted Hashem Safieddine in southern Lebanon.
Qaani, 67, was last seen in public at Hezbollah's offices in Tehran, two days after Israel killed the Lebanese group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut's southern suburb, according to images published by Iranian media.
Hashtags were trending on social media with many questioning whether Esmail Qaani was in a meeting with Hashem Safieddine, possible Nasrallah successor, when Israel targeted him.
