BEIRUT: Hashem Safieddine, a potential successor to his slain cousin Hassan Nasrallah, is one of Hezbollah鈥檚 most prominent figures and has deep religious and family ties to the Shiite Muslim movement鈥檚 patron 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, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the grey-bearded, bespectacled Safieddine was the 鈥渕ost likely鈥� candidate for party鈥檚 top job.
The United States and 萝莉视频 put Safieddine, who is a member of Hezbollah鈥檚 powerful decision-making Shoura Council, on their respective lists of designated 鈥渢errorists鈥� in 2017.
The US Treasury described him as 鈥渁 senior leader鈥� in Hezbollah and 鈥渁 key member鈥� of its executive.
While Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem automatically takes over the Hezbollah leadership after Nasrallah鈥檚 death, the Shoura 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鈥檚 Revolutionary Guards鈥� foreign operations arm who was killed in a 2020 US strike in Iraq.
Safieddine has the title of Sayyed, his black turban marking him, like Nasrallah, as a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
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 Palestinian Hamas militants fighting Israel in Gaza.
Amal Saad, a Lebanese researcher on Hezbollah based at Cardiff University, said that for years people have been saying that Safieddine was 鈥渢he most likely successor鈥� to Nasrallah.
鈥淭he next leader has to be on the Shoura Council, which has a handful of members, and he has to be a religious figure,鈥� she said.
Safieddine 鈥渉as a lot of authority... he鈥檚 the strongest contender鈥� she added.
Hezbollah was created at the initiative of Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guards and gained its moniker as 鈥渢he Resistance鈥� by fighting Israeli troops who occupied southern Lebanon until 2000.
The movement was founded during the Lebanese civil war after Israel besieged the capital Beirut in 1982.
In July in a speech in Beirut鈥檚 southern suburbs, Safieddine alluded to how Hezbollah views its leadership succession.
鈥淚n our resistance... when any leader is martyred, another takes up the flag and goes on with new, certain, strong determination,鈥� he said.