Hezbollah announces new leadership: Hashem Safieddine to replace Nasrallah

The Hezbollah Shura Council has selected Hashem Safieddine as the new Secretary General, following the reported death of Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on Friday, according to Saudi news outlets Al Hadath and Al Arabiya.

Safieddine, who heads Hezbollah's Executive Council, is a prominent figure within the organization and a close relative of Nasrallah, being his cousin on his mother’s side. His influence extends beyond Lebanon, with his brother, Abdullah Safieddine, serving as Hezbollah’s envoy to Iran.

He is one of six clerics on the powerful Shura Council, which shapes Hezbollah’s strategy and leadership decisions. Safieddine’s family connections also tie him to Iran’s leadership—his son, Said Ridah, is married to Zayneb Soleimani, the daughter of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020.