The killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in airstrikes on the outskirts of Beirut has focused attention on the man widely seen as his successor – Hashem Safieddine.
The Iran-backed group confirmed that Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for 32 years, had died on Friday. Now they face the challenge of choosing a new leader after the worst attacks in the organization’s 42-year history. As chairman of the Executive Council, Safieddine oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs and is also a member of the Jihad Council, which directs the group’s military operations.
Safieddine is Nasrallah’s cousin and, like him, a cleric who wears a black turban, symbolizing descent from the Prophet Muhammad. The United States (U.S.) State Department declared him a terrorist in 2017, and in June he threatened a major escalation after the killing of another Hezbollah commander. “Let the enemy prepare for weeping and wailing,” he declared during the funeral.
Safieddine’s public statements often reflect Hezbollah’s militant stance and its support for the Palestinian cause. At a recent rally in Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs, he declared: “Our history, our weapons and our rockets are with you,” showing solidarity with Palestinian fighters.
According to Philip Smyth, an expert on Iranian Shiite militias, Nasrallah assigned Safieddine key roles within various Hezbollah councils, some of which were non-transparent. Safieddine’s family connection with Nasrallah, his physical resemblance and his religious status as a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad further favor him.
Safieddine has also publicly criticized American policy. In response to U.S. pressure on Hezbollah in 2017, he said: “This mentally deranged, insane U.S. administration under Trump will not be able to harm the resistance,” stressing that such actions will only strengthen Hezbollah’s resolve, Reuters reports.
Photo: (Wikipedia/Khamenei.ir)
