New Delhi: In a stunning turn of events, Ismail Kani, the highly influential commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, has been arrested under suspicion of espionage for Israel. Kani, a key figure in the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), had mysteriously disappeared for several days, only for news of his arrest to break on Friday. During an intense interrogation, Kani suffered a heart attack, adding another layer of intrigue to this high-stakes situation. Currently, he remains hospitalized, receiving treatment under tight security.
The suspicion surrounding Kani’s activities was heightened after his visit to Beirut, Lebanon, in late September. Just days after his arrival, on September 27, a devastating Israeli airstrike targeted Hezbollah’s top leadership. The attack killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrullah, along with several high-ranking commanders and the deputy chief of the IRGC. Speculation began swirling that Kani had provided Israeli forces with the intelligence that led to the lethal strike.
The Suspicion Unfolds:
Kani’s direct involvement is suspected, with reports suggesting that he tipped off Israel about Nasrullah’s location. Kani had been expected to meet with Hashem Seifeddin, a top Hezbollah commander believed to be Nasrullah’s successor, in early October. However, Kani never attended the meeting. Instead, Israeli forces launched an attack on the building where the meeting was to take place, leading to Seifeddin’s death. Days later, Israel officially confirmed the assassination.
This sequence of events caused Iranian intelligence agencies to grow increasingly suspicious. Kani had narrowly avoided the attack on Seifeddin, and rumors of his own death spread rapidly. He was eventually found alive in Beirut, but his survival further solidified Iranian suspicions that he had betrayed Hezbollah leadership to Israel. It remains unclear whether Kani was arrested with Hezbollah’s help in Beirut or whether he was summoned back to Iran and detained there. As of now, he is in Iranian custody.
More Allegations of Treachery:
Kani’s suspected betrayal may not stop at the Hezbollah attack. There are whispers within Iranian intelligence circles that he may have also played a role in the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, who was killed in a covert operation in Tehran. Very few individuals had knowledge of Haniya’s secret hideout, and as a top-ranking Revolutionary Guard commander, Kani would have had access to this classified information. Many now believe that Kani shared details of Haniya’s location with Israeli agents inside Iran, leading to his death.
As Iranian agencies piece together the extent of Kani’s alleged treachery, the revelations could have profound implications for the region, reshaping the dynamics of the already fraught Israel-Iran-Hezbollah axis.
