BEIRUT (AP) — Hashem Safieddine, a strongman who rose through the ranks of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah over decades to become the second-most powerful person within the organization, has died.
Safieddine, who was about 60, was killed in early October in a series of Israeli airstrikes in a southern suburb of Beirut that shook much of the Lebanese capital, part of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah. Israel said Tuesday that Safieddine had been killed in the strikes; Hezbollah confirmed the death Wednesday.
Safieddine’s death came as he was widely expected to be elected the group’s next leader after the death of Hassan Nasrallah, one of its founders.
Safieddine, Nasrallah’s maternal cousin, had spent years preparing for the position — but the announcement was slow in coming following the Sept. 27 airstrike in the Beirut suburbs that killed Nasrallah, part of a series of blows dealt by Israel that had left Hezbollah in disarray.
A black-turbaned cleric with a thick gray beard who bore a strong resemblance to Nasrallah, Safieddine was known for defiant speeches in which he vowed that Hezbollah would keep fighting Israel no matter the price.
A familiar face in Lebanon and a leader with close ties to Iran, he was a member of the group’s decision-making Shura Council and its Jihad Council, which acts as its military command. He also headed its Executive Council, which runs schools and social programs.
Safieddine’s death comes at a delicate time for Hezbollah. In the wake of its ally Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing offensive in Gaza, Hezbollah began firing rockets, drones and missiles at Israel — and they have exchanged fire regularly since.
But recent weeks have seen a significant escalation, as Israel carried out a series of strikes on top Hezbollah commanders and apparently blew up thousands of communication devices used by the group’s members. It has since launched a ground invasion in Lebanon that it says aims to push Hezbollah militants back from the border.
Despite the lack of formal announcement following Nasrallah’s death, it was widely known that Safieddine was already in control and running the group’s affairs, though the official acting leader was his deputy, Naim Kassem.
It’s not clear who will end up taking Hezbollah’s top job now, especially since another leading candidate, Nabil Kaouk, was also killed in an Israeli strike hours after Nasrallah’s death.
Like Nasrallah, Safieddine held the title of sayyid, an honorific meant to signify the Shiite cleric’s lineage dating back to the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Since its founding during Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah has been led by a cleric.
During a funeral in a Beirut suburb last month for Hezbollah members who were killed in the exploding pagers attack, Safieddine vowed that Hezbollah would not bow down and would fight back.
“This aggression will definitely face its special punishment. This punishment is definitely coming,” Safieddine said.
During the ceremony, several walkie-talkies exploded wounding people nearby. Safieddine stayed at the funeral until the end, despite the new round of blasts.
Safieddine was close to Iran. His son, Rida, is married to Zeinab Soleimani, the daughter of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq in 2020.
Safieddine’s brother, Abdallah, is Hezbollah’s point man in Tehran, a crucial role in the organization given that Iran is its main backer, providing it with weapons and money.
In May 2017, the U.S. and some of its Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, imposed sanctions on 10 top Hezbollah officials including Nasrallah, Kassem and Safieddine.
