BEIRUT: Hashem Safieddine, a potential successor to his slain cousin Hassan Nasrallah, is one of Hezbollah’s most prominent figures and has deep religious and family ties to Iran.

Safieddine bears a striking resemblance to his charismatic maternal cousin Nasrallah but is several years his junior, aged in his late 50s or early 60s. A source close to Hezbollah said the grey-bearded, bespectacled Safied­dine was the “most likely” candidate for party’s top job.

As head of the executive council, Safieddine oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs. Safieddine’s public statements often reflect Hezbollah’s militant stance and its alignment with the Palestinian cause. At a recent event in Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs, he declared, “Our history, our guns and our rockets are with you,” in a show of solidarity with Palestinian fighters.

The United States and Saudi Arabia put Safieddine, who is a member of Hezbollah’s powerful decision-making Shura Council, on their respective lists of designated “terrorists” in 2017. The US Treasury described him as “a senior leader” in Hezbollah and “a key member” of its executive.

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He has also been vocal in his criticism of US policy. In response to American pressure on Hezbollah, he stated in 2017, “This mentally impeded, crazy US administration headed by Trump will not be able to harm the resistance,” asserting that such actions would only strengthen Hezbollah’s resolve.

While Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem automatically takes over the Hezbollah leadership after Nasrallah’s death, the Shura Council must meet to elect a new secretary general. Safieddine has strong ties with Iran after undertaking religious studies in the holy city of Qom.

His son is married to the daughter of General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm who was killed in a 2020 US strike in Iraq. Unlike Nasrallah, who lived in hiding for years, Safieddine has appeared openly at recent political and religious events.

Usually presenting a calm demeanour, he has upped the fiery rhetoric during the funerals of Hezbollah fighters killed in nearly a year of cross-border clashes with Israel. Nasrallah said his forces were acting in support of Hamas fighters.

Amal Saad, a Lebanese resear­cher on Hezbollah based at Cardiff University, said that for years people have been saying that Safieddine was “the most likely successor” to Nasrallah. “The next leader has to be on the Shura Council, which has a handful of members, and he has to be a religious figure”, she said. Safieddine “has a lot of authority... he’s the strongest contender” she added.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024