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Esmail Qaani is the commander of Iran's Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. He has been in this position since Tehran named him as the head of the Revolutionary Guards Corps' overseas military intelligence service after the United States assassinated his predecessor Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.
The Quds Force oversees dealings with militias allied with Tehran across the Middle East, such as Hezbollah. It plays a crucial role in managing Iran's paramilitary allies in various regions.
Esmail Qaani has been missing since Israeli strikes on Beirut late last week. He was in Lebanon after the killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike and has not been heard from since strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh.
Before becoming the Quds Force commander, Esmail Qaani was the deputy commander of the Quds Force. He took over after Qassem Soleimani's assassination and vowed to continue his predecessor's path with the same force.
Esmail Qaani was born in Mashhad, a conservative Shi'ite Muslim religious city in northeastern Iran. He fought for the Revolutionary Guards during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and has experience in overseas operations beyond Iran's eastern borders, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Unlike his predecessor Qassem Soleimani, who was widely photographed on battlefields and maintained close relationships with Arab allies, Esmail Qaani has adopted a lower profile. He prefers private meetings and visits to neighboring countries.
The disappearance of Esmail Qaani during heightened tensions between Iran and Israel has significant implications for regional security. His absence could affect Iran's ability to manage its proxies in the region, potentially leading to further escalation.