Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, appeared in public on Tuesday in Tehran, putting to rest rumors of his death in an Israeli airstrike.
A video shared by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency showed Qaani attending a public event celebrating what Iran described as a “victory over Israel” following recent hostilities. “Commander Qaani attends today’s gathering of the people of Tehran following Operation Divine Victory,” Tasnim stated on X (formerly Twitter), reports Anadolu.
State-run Press TV also broadcasted footage of Qaani, reporting that he was warmly welcomed by crowds celebrating the so-called triumph over the “Zionist regime.”
Earlier this month, The New York Times had reported that Qaani may have been killed in an Israeli strike amid escalating regional tensions.
Since June 13, Israel launched multiple airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, accusing Tehran of nearing nuclear weapon capability—an allegation strongly denied by Iran. In retaliation, Iran fired missiles and drones toward Israeli targets.
The United States intervened by bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday. After nearly two weeks of intense aerial combat, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, effectively halting the hostilities.
