Israeli warplanes on Thursday targeted Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and cousin of the Iran-backed group’s slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a series of airstrikes in Beirut. This report came as Israel continues to bomb Lebanon in a bid to dismantle Hezbollah following Nasrallah’s assassination.
While it remains unclear if Safieddine was killed in the strikes, Israeli officials confirmed that the bombardment was one of the heaviest in recent times, aimed at senior Hezbollah figures believed to be attending a meeting in an underground bunker, The New York Times reported.
Read More: Israel Targets Nasrallah’s Likely Successor, Safieddine, As IDF Bombs Hezbollah’s Intel Headquarters
Who is Hashem Safieddine?
Born in the early 1960s in southern Lebanon, Hashem Safieddine is considered one of the founding members of Hezbollah. He joined the Shiite militant group during its formation in the 1980s, amid Lebanon’s civil war, and rose through its ranks alongside Nasrallah.
Known for wearing a black turban, which signifies his status as a Shiite cleric, Safieddine has held various leadership roles within Hezbollah, including overseeing military operations and serving as a political and cultural leader.
In 1995, he ascended to Hezbollah’s highest governing body, the Consultative Assembly, and later became head of the Jihadi Council, responsible for military activities. By 1998, he was elected to lead the party’s Executive Council, a position previously held by Nasrallah before he was appointed secretary-general in 1992.
Family Ties, Terrorist Designation
Safieddine’s close ties with Iran were solidified during his studies in Qom, where he developed relationships that would benefit Hezbollah’s alignment with Tehran. Safieddine’s family connections further intertwine with Hezbollah’s leadership.
His brother, Abdallah Safieddine, serves as Hezbollah’s representative to Iran. In a significant personal union reflecting this relationship, Hashem’s son Reza married Zeinab Suleimani, daughter of Qassem Suleimani, the former commander of Iran’s Quds Force who was killed by a US drone strike in 2020.
This marriage has been viewed as a signal of Iran’s deepening influence within Hezbollah. In May 2017, both the United States and Saudi Arabia designated Hashem Safieddine as a terrorist due to his leadership role in Hezbollah. The US State Department described him as a senior leader overseeing various outfit activities and noted that he posed a serious risk of committing acts of terrorism threatening US national security.
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