A social media account claiming to represent the Mossad intelligence agency publicly denied on Monday that Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, is an Israeli asset.
“Qaani is not our spy,” the account posted in what appeared to be an unsolicited show of support for one of Israel’s most prominent adversaries.
The statement was posted on the "Mossad Farsi" account, which appeared shortly after last week’s ceasefire that ended direct hostilities between Israel and Iran. The account, whose affiliation with Israel’s intelligence services has not been confirmed or denied, has previously offered online telemedicine services to Iranians while criticizing the regime's prioritization of elite security interests over civilian needs.
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The latest post followed a message on X by a user claiming to be Qaani himself, in which he rejected allegations of espionage. “I will never stop fighting for Iran and our Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei,” the post read. “The Zionist cowards spread lies about me. I am not a member of the Mossad. I am the Mossad’s nightmare.”
Qaani appeared in public this week in Tehran, where Iranian officials held what they described as “victory celebrations” following the ceasefire. In state media images, the 62-year-old commander was seen in civilian clothing and a black baseball cap, speaking casually with civilians—his first appearance since reports during the war claimed he had been killed.
During the height of the conflict, The New York Times reported that Qaani may have been assassinated in an Israeli strike targeting senior IRGC figures. His absence from public view for over a year had already fueled speculation, particularly after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon. Following that operation, rumors circulated that Qaani had been placed under interrogation by Iranian authorities due to suspected Israeli infiltration of Hezbollah. Tehran has denied the reports.