Hashem Safieddine, who is speculated to be the forthcoming leader of Hezbollah following the passing of Hassan Nasrallah, is reported to have perished in an Israeli airstrike.
A report from Saudi media indicated that Israel has confirmed Safieddine’s death resulting from an airstrike in Beirut on Friday. A source disclosed to Reuters that Safieddine has been “unreachable” since that date.
On Friday, the Israeli military declared that it had targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut, with the intention of striking Safieddine, who was widely regarded as Nasrallah’s potential successor.
It is reported that he was among the leaders present at a meeting in an underground facility at the time of the strikes. The Jerusalem Post remarked that it is improbable that anyone from that meeting survived.
Barak Ravid, a journalist with Axios, conveyed on social media that Safieddine was specifically aimed at by Israel.
However, Moneycontrol has not been able to independently verify this information. Reports suggest that Safieddine is Nasrallah’s maternal cousin, and the two leaders studied together in Iran during the early 1980s.
According to CNN, Safieddine held the position of head of Hezbollah’s executive council and was seen as a likely successor to the organization’s highest office.
Hezbollah has not yet made an official announcement regarding Nasrallah’s successor.
Safieddine has previously emphasized the “strong connection” between Hezbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), particularly with the late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who lost his life in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport in 2020.
It is noteworthy that Safieddine’s son is married to Soleimani’s daughter.
Born in 1964 in the southern Lebanese village of Deir Qanoun En Nahr, Safieddine dons the black turban that denotes his status as a “Sayyid,” a Shia title that signifies lineage from the Prophet Mohammed.
The 60-year-old cleric has become increasingly prominent in Hezbollah’s political sphere, especially over the past year.
During the Gaza conflict, Safieddine publicly condemned Israel’s actions both in Gaza and along Lebanon’s southern border.
Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iran-backed Shia militias, stated to CNN: “Nasrallah began to assign him roles within various councils of Lebanese Hezbollah. Some of these roles were less transparent than others. He has been called upon to speak on multiple occasions.”
Safieddine has also been a vocal critic of American policies, which he perceives as supportive of Israel’s actions in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Recently, Israel inflicted a significant setback on Hezbollah by targeting Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut.
