Disappearance of Iranian Elite Unit Commander Amid Retaliation Speculations
Israel recently warned that Iran, which attacked its territory with missiles, could end up like the Palestinian Gaza Strip or Beirut, Lebanon.
On the 6th (local time), according to AFP, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant visited the Nevatim Airbase, which was targeted by Iranian missile attacks, and said, "Iran did not even scratch (the Israeli military's) capabilities," adding, "If they think they can deter our response by attacking Israel, they should look at what is happening in the Gaza Strip and Beirut."
Israel also emphasized that although it claimed victory over Hamas, the Palestinian armed faction, ahead of the first anniversary of the outbreak of war with Hamas, the war is not yet over. Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated in a message to military personnel, "After one year, we have defeated Hamas's military organization and continue to fight against their terrorist capabilities," and "We have dealt a serious blow to Hezbollah, which has lost all of its senior leadership."
Amid speculation that Israel may launch retaliatory strikes targeting Iran's oil and nuclear facilities, the Iranian military has entered a state of alert. According to the state-run IRNA news agency on the same day, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Fakhrizadeh visited the oil export terminal on Kharg Island in the Gulf region and met with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy in the area, encouraging continued efforts to maintain the security of oil facilities.
Meanwhile, according to the US daily The New York Times (NYT) and others, the whereabouts of Esmail Ghaani, commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, have become uncertain, causing unrest within Iran.
Israeli and Arab media reported that Commander Ghaani may have been killed or injured in Israel's airstrike on Beirut, Lebanon, while Iranian media have attempted to investigate his whereabouts but have not confirmed any clear information. The Revolutionary Guard has also not issued any statements.
Major foreign media outlets, citing multiple Iranian security officials, reported that Commander Ghaani recently visited Beirut and has been out of contact since the Beirut bombing on the 3rd, which was reportedly aimed at Sufyani, a cousin of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in the explosion. Sufyani's status is also unknown.
According to Iranian media, the last public sighting of Commander Ghaani was two days after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the 27th of last month. However, he did not appear at the Friday prayer service led by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the 4th of this month, which was held in memory of Nasrallah.
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