Arab media reported on Friday that Iranian forces executed General Esmail Qaani of the Revolutionary Guards, accusing him of being an agent for Israel’s Mossad. According to The National, citing unconfirmed sources, Qaani of the Quds Force was charged with espionage and subsequently executed.

Qaani’s name surfaced after reports suggested that Mossad had precise knowledge of the location of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the attack that ultimately killed him. Rumors indicated that Qaani allegedly sent a photo of Khamenei’s body to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who then informed former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Qaani had succeeded Qasem Soleimani after his death and enjoyed Khamenei’s full trust. Since his appointment, he had narrowly survived multiple Mossad operations. He was involved in advising Hezbollah on countering IDF strategies, and reportedly survived an incident where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was fatally exposed by a device during a handshake.

Qaani was later suspected of disloyalty in Tehran and interrogated, collapsing with heart attack symptoms during questioning. After consolidating control within the Revolutionary Guards, he resurfaced publicly, including a secret visit to Esmail Haniyeh in July 2024. He narrowly escaped several targeted Israeli attacks during a 12-day war that killed much of Iran’s military leadership. The recent Mossad strike, which killed all inside Khamenei’s office, reportedly occurred just after Qaani had left, underscoring his high-ranking position within Iran’s military hierarchy.