Hezbollah confirmed this Wednesday, the death of Hachem Safieddine, a key figure in the Lebanese Shiite movement, which was expected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah.
Safieddine, president of the Hezbollah and Cousin Executive Council of Nasrallah, was eliminated during an Israeli attack in early October near Beirut, according to the Israeli army. This disappearance represents a major blow for Hezbollah, which loses one of its highest leaders in less than a month.
Hezbollah described Hachem Safieddine as a “great martyr” who had devoted his life to the party service. The press release did not specify the exact date of his death, although Israeli strikes targeted the bastions of Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut in early October. The Israeli army had indicated the day before that Safieddine had been killed, at the same time as another senior official, Ali Hussein Hazima, during an operation aimed at weakening the command of the pro-Iranian movement.
Hachem Safieddine, in addition to being a close collaborator of Nasrallah, had close links with Iran, in particular thanks to his training in Qom. He played a crucial role in relations with Tehran, reinforced by his family bond with Qassem Soleimani. Safieddine, although less charismatic than Nasrallah, was known for its effectiveness in the management of internal affairs of Hezbollah, including its finances and its strategic alliances.
