Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran's IRGC Quds Force, reportedly met with Abu Alaa al-Walai, leader of the Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada militia, during his visit to Iraq for the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran's IRGC Quds Force, met with Abu Alaa al-Walai, the leader of the Iraqi militia Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, during a visit to Iraq for the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to reports.
The meeting comes amid a broader period of public appearances by Qaani and other senior IRGC figures. As The Zioneer has reported, Qaani was documented at Khamenei's funeral in Tehran on July 6, and a rare photo from an Ashura ceremony on June 26 showed him beside the Supreme Leader's empty chair. Earlier on June 21, security analyst Yair Goldblatt reported, citing Arab-world sources, that Qaani was expected to step down as Quds Force commander, though no timeline or successor was named. The Iraqi government also declared Qaani persona non grata on July 8, a decision that coincided with Prime Minister al-Sudani's planned Washington visit.
It remains unclear whether the meeting in Iraq took place before or after the Iraqi expulsion order, and whether it signals a change in Qaani's operational status. The militia Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada is part of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, with close ties to Iran.
- DevelopingEsmail Qaani documented at Khamenei's funeral, N12 reports
- StrongRare photo shows IRGC Quds Force chief Qaani pressed against wall beside Khamenei's empty chair at Ashura ceremony
- DevelopingIraq declares IRGC Quds Force commander Ismail Qaani persona non grata, orders expulsion
- StrongIRGC chief Vahidi, Iranian FM Araghchi reportedly arrive at Khamenei funeral on motorcycles
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