Hezbollah’s executive council has appointed Hashem Safieddine as the new Secretary General following the reported death of Hassan Nasrallah, according to sources cited by Al-Arabiya. Nasrallah was killed in a massive Israeli airstrike on Friday, which targeted his underground headquarters in the Dahieh district of Beirut. Reports indicate that he died of suffocation in a poorly ventilated bunker, allowing his body to be recovered intact.
Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah and a key figure within Hezbollah, was not present during the strike. He has long been a senior leader in the group, overseeing its executive council. Born in 1964 in southern Lebanon, Safieddine studied alongside Nasrallah in prominent Shia religious centers in Iraq and Iran. His ties to Iran remain strong, with family connections to influential figures, including the late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
Safieddine has held critical roles within Hezbollah, serving on both the Shura Council and the Jihad Council. He has also been sanctioned by the US and Saudi Arabia, who have designated him a terrorist and imposed asset freezes on him.
