Iran’s Quds Force chief out of contact since Beirut strikes, Iranian officials say

Iran’s Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, who travelled to Lebanon after the killing last month of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike, has not been heard from since strikes on Beirut late last week, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters.

One of the officials said Qaani was in Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, during a strike on Thursday that was reported to have targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine but the official said he was not meeting Safieddine.

The official said Iran and Hezbollah had not been able to contact Qaani since then.

Asked about the fate of Safieddine, political official Mahmoud Qmati on Sunday said Israel was not allowing a search to progress.

“I have no information, we are also searching for the truth of this matter,” he said.

Hezbollah is now being led internally and picking a new leader will take time, Qmati told Iraqi state television.

Israel has been hitting multiple targets in Dahiyeh as it pursues a campaign against Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.