Iran's Quds Force leader “in good health,” deputy commander says amid absence since strikes

PHOTO CAPTION: Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, speaks during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of senior Iranian military commander Mohammad Hejazi, in Tehran, Iran April 14, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

DUBAI (Reuters) -The top commander of Iran's Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, is in "good health", the force's deputy commander Iraj Masjedi said on Monday, after two Iranian security sources told Reuters he had been out of contact since strikes on Beirut last week.

"He is in good health and is carrying out his activities. Some ask us to issue a statement... there is no need for this," Masjedi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media in reference to Qaani.

The Iranian Students' News Agency reported that a message from Qaani was conveyed to a conference in solidarity with Palestinian children held on Monday in Tehran, adding that the commander could not attend "due to his being in another important meeting."

One of the security officials told Reuters that Qaani was in Beirut's southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, during a strike last week that was reported to have targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine. The official said he was not meeting Safieddine.

Israel has been hitting multiple targets in Dahiyeh as it pursues a campaign against Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Tehran named Qaani the head of the Revolutionary Guards Corps' overseas military-intelligence service after the United States assassinated his powerful predecessor Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.

The Quds Force heavily influences its allied armed groups across the Middle East.

(Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; Editing by Toby Chopra and Sharon Singleton)