Who is Hashem Safieddine, expected to be Hezbollah's new leader?

Hezbollah has confirmed that its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday, September 27. Hezbollah's confirmation of Nasrallah's death has brought with it questions about who might replace him. The New York Times (NYT) newspaper, citing three Israeli defense officials, reported that Nasrallah's cousin, Hashem Safieddine, is being considered as his potential successor and was not at the scene during the attack. 

WEARS A BLACK TURBAN

So, who is Hashem Safieddine? According to Reuters, Safieddine, who heads Hezbollah's executive council, is responsible for the group's political affairs. Safieddine also sits on the Jihad Council, which manages Hezbollah's military operations. According to reports noting that Safieddine is Nasrallah's cousin, he also wears a black turban, which signifies that he is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, just like Nasrallah.

DESIGNATED A 'TERRORIST' BY THE US IN 2017

Meanwhile, the US Department of State designated Safieddine as a 'terrorist' in 2017. In a speech at the funeral of a Hezbollah commander killed in June, Safieddine pointed to Israel and said, "Let the enemy prepare itself to cry and wail." Safieddine's public statements have mostly focused on Hezbollah's military stance and the Palestinian cause. Recently, in a statement made in Dahiyeh, known as 'Hezbollah's stronghold' in southern Beirut where Nasrallah was killed, he expressed his solidarity with Palestinian groups by saying, "Our history, our weapons, and our rockets" are with you.

Philip Smyth, an expert on Iran-backed Shiite groups, explained in his assessment of the matter that Nasrallah had begun 'giving Safieddine positions in a range of different councils within Lebanese Hezbollah, some of them more opaque than others.' 

The report notes that Safieddine's family ties, his physical resemblance to Nasrallah, and his religious status as a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad would work to his advantage, while also stating that Safieddine has been an outspoken critic of US policy. In the face of US pressure, Safieddine said in 2017, "This mentally disabled, crazy US administration led by Trump will not be able to harm the resistance."

News Source: 12punto