ENEMY WITHIN

MISSING Iranian military chief Esmail Qaani is being secretly interrogated as a suspected mole, it is believed.

- CHRIS HUGHES

The head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force slipped out of public sight days ago after a string of security breaches led to the deaths of several Hezbollah leaders.

His disappearance comes as violence escalates in the Middle East, with Israeli missiles hitting a school in Gaza and three UN peacekeeping posts in Lebanon.

It was initially thought Qaani had died in one of the Israeli blasts that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, his successor Hashem Safieddine and others.

But his Quds force deputy claimed he is in good health.

His whereabouts remains mystery though.

Qaani suddenly pulled out of an Iran/Hezbollah meeting on September 27.