Hezbollah Leadership Succession: Hashem Safieddine to Take Over from Hassan Nasrallah?
Sagacious observers of the Middle East breathed a collective sigh of relief at the news that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah survived an Israeli airstrike on the headquarters of the militant group in Beirut, while others were not so lucky. The death of several senior leaders sparked fierce emotions in the ranks of the powerful Lebanese militia as Hezbollah holds funeral rites for its longtime leader. Hezbollah is now sharply focused on finding a successor to take over its leadership reins. Given this development, one of the most promising names to emerge in filling Nasrallah’s shoes is his cousin, Hashem Safieddine. The article further delves into this successor’s background in addition to the structure within Hezbollah and how this succession will impact the broader scope of politics.
The Most Expected Successor: Who Is Hashem Safieddine?
Not a new face in Hezbollah leadership, Hashem Safieddine is in his late 50s or early 60s and has lived all his life with a family background that is distinctly political and religious to the extreme and has occupied different senior positions in the organization for many years. Though much of his working time has been behind the scenes, Hashem Safieddine still moves up through the ranks of Hezbollah, making him dangerous and more in the public eye.
Family Ties to Hezbollah and Nasrallah
He is a cousin of Hassan Nasrallah, who has conveniently positioned him in the inner circle of Hezbollah. They are, in any case, both from a prominent Shia family in Lebanon, and the thing of it is that Safieddine, as Nasrallah does, carries the honorific title of Sayyed, which implies he is descended directly from the Prophet Mohammed, thus naturally adding more legitimacy and authority to Safieddine in the firmament of Hezbollah and among broader Shia Muslim groups.
Accusations of Terrorism and International Sanctions
In addition to being a religious figure, Safieddine also holds an extensively documented military and political activity role within Hezbollah. In 2017, both the United States and Saudi Arabia officially identified Safieddine as a terrorist due to his position of high leadership in the organization. He has been cited as a terrorist for many years by the US and Israeli governments along with other international states due to his association with Hezbollah; and as part and parcel of this organization, he has had international media and public scrutiny upon him.
However, he has been very close to 
operations and finances due to close association, which makes him play a major role in the group’s leadership.
Very Close to Iran and the Quds Force
One influential element of Safieddine is that he has been very close to Iran, which happens to be the main backer of Hezbollah. Having studied in Iran’s holy city of Qom, Safieddine is well-connected to Iran’s religious and political leadership. Markedly, his son is married to the daughter of Iran’s late general Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the country’s Quds Force killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020. Such close connections with Iran, specifically to the Revolutionary Guards, will make Safieddine’s leadership over Hezbollah much stronger in light of Tehran’s continued importance in its military and financial backing.
Transition Leadership: What’s next with Hezbollah?
Despite Safieddine being at the forefront to take Nasrallah’s position, the way out of Hezbollah’s transition process shall be orchestrated and orderly. It has reportedly been indicated that the Shura Council of Hezbollah-the highest ruling body in the organization-was tasked with the duty of electing a new secretary-general to replace Nasrallah. Meantime, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy chief, would assume full leadership responsibility for the organization until the appointment of the new successor.
This is an important moment for Hezbollah as its leadership fights to maintain their grip and stability in the face of Nasrallah, who had led the movement for thirty years. Safieddine has strong ties to Iran and has spent his lifetime as part of Hezbollah, but it’s Hezbollah’s internal mechanisms together with its role of the Shura Council that would truly determine who follows Nasrallah.
Regional and International Reactions of Nasrallah’s Death
The death news of Hassan Nasrallah stunned not only Hezbollah but the entire Middle East, particularly the pro- or anti-Hezbollah countries.
Iran’s Reaction
Iran, the key ally of Hezbollah, promptly condemned the killing of Nasrallah. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslims to stand as united with Hezbollah and support the movement in their resistance against Israel. As a matter of fact, the Revolutionary Guards which have been for years committed to training, arming, funding Hezbollah, considers the killing of Nasrallah as a direct assault against its influence in the region.
Hamas Response
Hamas, a Palestinian militant group openly allied with Hezbollah, condemned the assassination of Nasrallah in a statement issued from Hamas. Airstrike has been referred to as “a cowardly terrorist act” by Hamas and the movement affirmed its intent to continue waging the war against Israel. The link between Hezbollah and Hamas has formed a connection that facilitates their plans for attack against Israel within different site-based land battles with Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as in Gaza where both parties are accused of military attacks against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
Impact on Israel
Recently, Israel targeted Nasrallah for weakening leadership in Hezbollah. The Israeli government for a long time considered Hezbollah as its top security threat owing to the enormous military might the group has and the fact that it has been capable of launching rockets attacks on Israeli soil. For a long time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy force, and thus, death of Nasrallah presents a crucial blow to both intelligence and military mobilizations against Israel.
Forming Hezbollah: A Historical Analysis
Hezbollah is a militant organization that was founded in 1982, at the height of the Lebanese Civil War. The country had descended into chaos and sectarian violence; therefore, Hezbollah was born out of opposition to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, where Israeli forces were besieging Beirut in a bid to dismantle Palestinian militant groups that operated in the country. Hezbollah was founded as a Shia militia, supported by the Revolutionary Guards of Iran, the primary aim of the group being to resist Israeli occupation.
Hezbollah continued as a strong military and political force in the years that followed. With its protracted guerrilla war, Hezbollah had seen to it that Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon by 2000, making Hezbollah a significant player in the politics of Lebanon. Hezbollah possesses great military might along with tremendous authority in government, and is regarded as one of the greatest non-state actors in the Middle East.
Conclusion: A New Era for Hezbollah
Hassan Nasrallah’s death completes an era for Hezbollah, as he has led it for over three decades. His most likely successor, Hashem Safieddine, represents continuity in the body, given his deep ties to both Hezbollah and Iran. But it is a critical time for Hezbollah as conflict goes on and on with Israel and international powers weigh in on its policies.
In case the appointment is confirmed, the future of political and military strategy at Hezbollah will be shaped. With Iran and plentiful resources available, resistance against Israel is something that the group should be able to continue with impunity. However, Nasrallah’s loss is a blow; how Safieddine or whoever gets behind the helm will step up and lead Hezbollah into its next chapter needs to be seen.
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