06.07.2026 13:10
After the war between Iran and the US-Israel that began on February 28, Quds Force Commander Ismail Qaani, accused of betraying the country, appeared for the first time in months at Ali Khamenei's funeral. Breaking his silence by appearing before the public, Qaani stated that the "axis of resistance" has grown even stronger, issuing a warning to the US and Israel.
Ismail Kaani, the commander of the Quds Force affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, appeared before the public on Monday for the first time since the day the war broke out. Responding to speculations that he had "switched sides" and "betrayed" during a funeral ceremony in Tehran, Kaani effectively challenged his enemies with statements broadcast on Iran's state television network, Khabar Network.
"THE USA AND ISRAEL IN A SPIRAL OF ANXIETY"
The Iranian commander, speaking for the first time since the start of the war, argued that the "axis of resistance" had proven its mettle during the conflict. Kaani claimed that military operations had plunged the USA and Israel into an irreversible "spiral of anxiety," emphasizing that Iran's network of allies in the region remained unshaken.
"NO ONE CAN DEFEAT HEZBOLLAH"
In his speech, Kaani opened a separate parenthesis for the fronts in Lebanon and Gaza, delivering critical messages regarding Hezbollah and Hamas.
Stating that Hezbollah had always stood by Iran throughout the conflict, Kaani said that neither the USA nor Israel was capable of defeating the Lebanese resistance, asserting, "No one can stand against Hezbollah." Touching on the situation in Gaza, the commander expressed that despite severe destruction and war, Hamas would rise from the ashes and rebuild itself much stronger.
Describing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea as one of the biggest winning cards of the axis of resistance, Kaani warned that if necessary, they would also deploy additional military capabilities they had not yet used.
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MOJTABA KHAMENEI DID NOT ATTEND THE CEREMONY DUE TO FEAR OF ASSASSINATION
Details of the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who lost his life in the major attack on February 28, have also become clear. It was announced that Khamenei's body would be laid to rest in Mashhad on Thursday after visits to Qom, Najaf, and Karbala.
However, the most striking detail of the ceremony was that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son pointed to as Khamenei's successor, was not present at the site. According to a report by the New York Times (NYT) citing regime sources, Mojtaba Khamenei, who survived the attack that killed his father and family members, did not attend the ceremony due to precise intelligence reports indicating that Israel would carry out an assassination attempt against him during the funeral.
While Iran's state television shared images of only Khamenei's other sons, Mustafa, Meysam, and Masoud Khamenei, praying by the coffin, the mystery surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei's whereabouts continues to be maintained.