
According to Al-Arabiya and Arab media, Nasrallah's replacement has died...
After the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, it was rumored that the successor would be his cousin Hashem Safieddine.
But, foreign media write that he was the target of an Israeli attack in Beirut and his fate is currently unknown. A Lebanese security source reportedly told the Reuters news agency that he had been "unreachable" since Friday.
According to Al-Arabiya and Arab media, Nasrallah's replacement has died. Shafi al-Din was "eliminated," according to the same sources, along with his Iranian aides and Hezbollah's replacement field commanders.
But who is he?
Nasrallah's younger cousin was born in the southern Lebanese village of Deir Qanoun En Nahr near Tire in 1960.
The young men studied theology together at two Shia institutions - one in Najaf, Iraq and the other in Qom, Iran.
They are seen by their supporters as being from a respected Shiite family that has produced both religious scholars and Lebanese politicians.
Safieddine's brother is Hezbollah's representative in Iran, while his son is married to the daughter of Qassem Soleimani - the Iranian general killed in a US drone strike during Donald Trump's 2020 presidency.
Safieddine joined Hezbollah shortly after it was created in the early 1980s.
He also wears a black turban, as Nasrallah did, indicating that he is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
Safieddine's family connections and his close resemblance to his late cousin would have helped his leadership bid, experts said.
He is already the head of Hezbollah's Jihad council and among the key members of its Shura council.
Known for his militant views, he is in charge of the group's political affairs.
At a recent event in Dahieh, where this week's airstrikes took place, he said in support of Hamas in Gaza: "Our history, our weapons and rockets are with you."
And at a funeral for one of his fellow commanders in June, he appeared to threaten further escalation of the conflict with Israel, declaring: "Let [the enemy] prepare to weep and mourn."
The US designated Safieddin as a terrorist in 2017. Saudi Arabia also classifies him as a terrorist.
He has always been a vocal critic of American politics, declaring that year: "This insane, mentally retarded US administration led by Trump will not be able to harm the resistance." / Pamphlet
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