After Nasrallah, Did Israel Kill Hezbollah's New Leader In Lebanon Airstrike? Report Adds To Online Buzz

Hashem Safieddine, the presumed successor to slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut on Friday, according to Saudi news outlet Al Hadath.

The strike targeted a meeting of senior Hezbollah officials in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, The Jerusalem Post reported, amid reports that the IDF operation was aimed at Nasrallah’s cousin, Safieddine, and other high-ranking members of the militant group.

Successor To Nasrallah

Safieddine, who oversaw military operations as head of the Iran-backed group’s executive council, was widely regarded as the heir to Nasrallah, who was killed in an earlier Israeli airstrike that also targeted dozens of leaders of the Iran-backed group. He was designated a terrorist by the US State Department in 2017 and is a cousin of Nasrallah.

Report of Safieddine’s killing comes as Israeli troops had started “ground raids” into parts of southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after days of bombing of areas across the country where the group holds sway. Both sides have exchanged fire in recent weeks as the Israeli military targets Hezbollah’s infrastructure and personnel, claiming to have killed numerous militants.

‘Life span of new Hezbollah Secretary General’

After reports about the death of Nasrallah’s presumed successor emerged, pro-Israeli accounts on X started mocking the Iran-backed group. “The current life span for a new Hezbollah Secretary General is 0.56 Scaramuccis,” said Alex Plitsas. “Looks like Hashem Safieddine had a short run as leader of Hezbollah,” wrote X user Kvist.

Who Was Hashem Safieddine

Born in the early 1960s in southern Lebanon, Safieddine is considered one of the founding members of Hezbollah. He joined the Shiite militant group during its formation in the 1980s, amid Lebanon’s civil war, and rose through its ranks alongside Nasrallah.

Known for wearing a black turban, which signifies his status as a Shiite cleric, Safieddine has held various leadership roles within Hezbollah, including overseeing military operations and serving as a political and cultural leader.

In 1995, he ascended to Hezbollah’s highest governing body, the Consultative Assembly, and later became head of the Jihadi Council, responsible for military activities. By 1998, he was elected to lead the party’s Executive Council, a position previously held by Nasrallah before he was appointed secretary-general in 1992.

Safieddine’s close ties with Iran were solidified during his studies in Qom, where he developed relationships that would benefit Hezbollah’s alignment with Tehran. Safieddine’s family connections further intertwine with Hezbollah’s leadership.

His brother, Abdallah Safieddine, serves as Hezbollah’s representative to Iran. In a significant personal union reflecting this relationship, Hashem’s son Reza married Zeinab Suleimani, daughter of Qassem Suleimani, the former commander of Iran’s Quds Force who was killed by a US drone strike in 2020. This marriage has been viewed as a signal of Iran’s deepening influence within Hezbollah.