Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency on Monday denied widespread speculation that Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, had been recruited as an Israeli asset.
In a terse six-word statement posted in Farsi on X, Mossad’s official account wrote, “قاآنی جاسوس ما نیست” — translated as “Qaani is not our spy.” The post appeared under the handle @MossadSpokesman, which has amassed more than 140,000 followers since Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on June 24.
The statement follows months of rumors in fringe and tabloid outlets suggesting Qaani may have been turned by Israeli operatives. The speculation gained traction after Qaani, 62, disappeared from public view during a series of covert Israeli airstrikes in late 2024 that targeted Iranian assets and Hezbollah leaders in Beirut.
Some reports claimed Qaani had been detained or tortured by Iranian security services over suspicions he leaked sensitive targeting data to Israel. Other rumors suggested he had died of a heart attack “during questioning” or was under house arrest.
Speculation intensified again this month after Israeli precision strikes hit Iranian missile depots, prompting renewed chatter about a possible inside source within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian authorities repeatedly denied those allegations, dismissing them as “psychological warfare.”
Qaani made a surprise public appearance on June 25 at a rally in central Tehran celebrating the ceasefire, smiling and mingling with civilians in what appeared to be a deliberate move to counter claims he was missing or dead. Iranian state media emphasized that the general looked “in good health.”
Qaani has led the IRGC’s powerful Quds Force since 2020, after his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. He is responsible for managing Iran’s network of proxy militias across the region and remains under U.S. and European Union terrorism sanctions.
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8 Responses
If he were their spy of course they would deny it. Either way the only evidence of his being a spy is lack of public appearances. That is very weak evidence
this “statement” itself is irrelevant. hopefully, the mossad wouldn’t admit it, even if he was, so such public statements cannot be taken at face value. in the best case, this will cause the mullahs to worry about the possibility, while giving hope to anti-regime iranians, by implying that other prominent leaders might be.
Why didn’t they say he is our spy, they’d string him up immediately
This kind of disinformation controlled disclosure is what is known as reverse psychology.
Which is exactly what they would say if he was their spy.
Which in turn would lead to them killing Qaani.
Which is what the Mossad would want if he’s not their spy.
So, this was just an exercise in trolling and could not would not mean anything in real life.
Depends how you read it… he is not OUR spy.
Esmail Qaani is as much of an Israeli spy as Moti Rolla or Eli kopter.
i say let the mossad admit he was a spy ,even thou he wasn’t this way iran will dispose of him saving the mossad the trouble