Rare Interview by Iran’s Quds Force Chief Targets Israel, U.S.

After a long absence from public view, Iranian Quds Force commander Ismail Qaani gave a rare interview to Iranian television. In it, he issued a sharp warning to Israel and the United States, saying, “Do not enter into confrontation with the resistance front, it stands against the enemy even in difficult times.” Qaani had mostly been missing from view since the start of the war, appearing only through written messages and social media posts.

Qaani focused especially on the northern front and Hezbollah’s activity. He said, “Hezbollah has fought 104 days shoulder to shoulder with Iran.” He added, “No one can stand against Hezbollah, what you have seen from it is just the tip of the iceberg.”

He also referred to a recent strike in Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood and the American response. “Yesterday they hit Dahiyeh,” he said. According to Qaani, Washington saw that Iran, from senior political figures to military commanders, was preparing to respond. “Trump’s tweet showed how much he was trembling with fear,” he said.

Qaani argued that the U.S. reaction reflected weakness rather than strength. “This shows that the brother behind the missile launchers and the brothers who sat around the negotiating table are all made of the same resistance material,” he said. Qaani has led the Quds Force since the killing of Qassem Soleimani in January 2020. The unit oversees Iran’s regional proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. His prolonged disappearance had fueled speculation in and outside Iran about security concerns or internal tensions in the regime.