Hashem Safieddine Tipped as Potential Successor to Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah

Sayyed Hashem Safieddine is one of the key figures within Hezbollah and is regarded as a potential successor to his cousin, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the current leader of the group. Safieddine, who shares a striking resemblance to Nasrallah, is in his late 50s or early 60s and has strong family and religious ties to Iran, Hezbollah’s primary backer.

Safieddine has long been a significant figure within the organization, serving on its influential Shura Council, which makes key decisions for the group. In 2017, both the United States and Saudi Arabia designated Safieddine as a “terrorist,” with the U.S. Treasury describing him as a senior Hezbollah leader and a key figure within its executive body.

Though Nasrallah’s deputy, Sheikh Naim Qassem, would assume leadership upon Nasrallah’s death, the Shura Council would convene to elect a new secretary-general. Safieddine, with his religious studies background from Qom, Iran, and close familial ties to influential figures such as General Qasem Soleimani—his son is married to Soleimani’s daughter—makes him a strong candidate to succeed Nasrallah.

Unlike Nasrallah, who has spent much of his time in hiding, Safieddine has been more visible in public, attending political and religious events openly. His calm demeanor shifts to more fiery rhetoric during moments of heightened tension, such as funerals of Hezbollah fighters killed in recent clashes with Israel.

Hezbollah, founded during the Lebanese civil war with the help of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, is a major player in Lebanese politics and military activities, particularly known for its resistance to Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon, which lasted until 2000. Safieddine, with his long-standing role within Hezbollah’s leadership, is widely considered the strongest candidate to take up the leadership mantle should Nasrallah no longer lead.