Lebanon’s army was swift to set up a security cordon around the US Embassy near Beirut after Israeli air strikes targeting the senior leadership of Hezbollah killed Hassan Nasrallah, its secretary-general. The identity and background of the cleric that many believe will take over the top job helps explain why such speedy action was taken: Hashem Safieddine is well known for his deep hatred of America.
He is a maternal cousin of Nasrallah and related to Qasem Soleimani, the slain former commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, by marriage. Soleimani was killed in an American attack, so for Safieddine, this is also personal.
Although Nasrallah’s successor is not yet confirmed, Safieddine is expected to get the nod and revive the ideological aspects for which Hezbollah was founded while maintaining its unwavering loyalty to Iran.
On Thursday night, 3 October, Israel claims to have targeted Safieddine in a string of successive air strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahiyeh. There hasn't been confirmation yet whether Safieddine was killed in the strike, but three Israeli officials told The New York Times that the strikes targeted a meeting of senior Hezbollah leaders, including Safieddine.
Embodiment of jihad
Safieddine’s character and approach make him ideally suited to act according to what Iran needs for the next phase of its proxy warfare strategy, balancing jihad with negotiation. Adept at the intricacies of both diplomacy and combat, Safieddine is best known for consistently championing self-defence through escalation and continuous open jihad, connecting all battlefronts no matter the cost. He sees war as the sole means of resolving conflicts, via either victory or death. Next to the practice of “strategic patience” and “tactical retreat”, his is a stark alternative.
Iran's development and support for regional militias let it control its overall direction, but it delegates the oversight of military operations to the groups themselves.
Safieddine's hatred of the US will only have been reinforced by the unprecedented American support given to Israel for its military action in recent weeks. This includes the so-called "bunker-busting" bombs that penetrate even the most fortified locations, including those underground, such as Nasrallah's Beirut location when he was killed.
Table-thumping reputation
Born in 1964 in Deir Qanoun En-Nahr, a town in the Tyre district, Safieddine later became known for his fiery, uncompromising speeches and radical anti-American positions. This has helped solidify his prominent role in Hezbollah and Lebanon. He is often described as the group's second-in-command.
Yet his table-thumping reputation is at odds with the reality. Away from the pulpit, Safieddine's role is more akin to an operations manager, overseeing aspects like finances and investments, which generate substantial returns.
