Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force within the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has issued a statement that appears to seek to pressure the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal.
The deal was agreed upon in Washington overnight. Now Iran and the Quds Force commander appear concerned. Qaani demanded that Israel withdraw from Lebanon.
He has made several threats recently to use Iranian influence, apparently via the Houthis, to target shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
“Supporting the resistance in Lebanon is the duty of all of us, and removing Israel from the region is an attainable goal for Muslims,” Qaani said.
The post was circulated on a social media platform in Iran and has not been fully verified. Nevertheless, it was also reported in regional media, such as Arab News in Saudi Arabia.
Iran trying to keep its proxies alive
Qaani apparently added that “the minimum demand of the resistance is the withdrawal of the usurping regime [Israel] to the position it held before the start of the 40-day war.”
The 40-day war apparently refers to the recent conflict that began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran. Israel has carved out a security zone in southern Lebanon since Hezbollah attacked it on March 2.
Iran is in talks with the US over a deal on the Strait of Hormuz and also seeks concessions in Lebanon.
The Islamic Republic has been trying to preserve Hezbollah. It doesn’t want the group removed. Hezbollah is a historic Iranian proxy and is a key piece of real estate in the region for Iran.
The terror group has been increasing in power since the 1980s, when it first began fighting Israel. It subsequently clashed with Israel in the 1990s and again in 2006, and has been engaged in renewed hostilities since 8 October 2023.
Israel has not been able to decisively defeat Hezbollah, despite eliminating its leadership and killing some of its fighters.
In recent days, there appeared to be tension between Jerusalem and Washington over Israel’s desire to increase attacks in Lebanon and target Hezbollah in the Dahiyeh suburb in southern Beirut.
US President Donald Trump personally pushed for a ceasefire and tried to warn Israel against striking Beirut. Israeli officials vowed that they would attack if Hezbollah continued its attacks.
Iran is watching closely. It wants a ceasefire in Lebanon.
In Washington, the Israeli and Lebanese delegations met for the fourth time on June 3. Now there is a deal that could pave the way to a comprehensive agreement.
Hezbollah’s goal is a ceasefire, but it is also obstructing efforts to reach one. The next round of talks may take place in June and could lead to a broader agreement later that month.
Qaani is a shadowy figure. He survived the recent conflict. Rumors on social media have mocked him, suggesting he may be an Israeli agent because he somehow always survives.
Qaani has attempted to lead the Quds Force since January 2020, when his predecessor Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad, alongside Kataib Hezbollah commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a key Iranian-backed militia ally in Iraq.
Soleimani was a major architect of Iranian regional policy who worked closely with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Qaani has not appeared as effective.