Hashem Safieddine

Last updated

Hashem Safieddine
هاشم صفي الدين‎
Hachem Safieddine 2020 (cropped).jpg
Safieddine in 2020
Head of Hezbollah's Executive Council
In office
July 2001 (2001-07) –3 October 2024 (2024-10-03)
Personal details
Born1964 (1964)
Deir Qanoun En Nahr, Lebanon
Diedc. 3 October 2024(2024-10-03) (aged 59–60)
Dahieh, Lebanon
Manner of death Assassination by airstrike
Political party Hezbollah
SpouseRaeda Faqih
Relatives

Hashem Safieddine (Arabic : هاشم صفي الدين, romanized: Hāshim Ṣafī al-Dīn; 1964 –c. 3 October 2024) was a Lebanese Shia cleric who served as the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council from 2001 until his assassination in 2024. A maternal cousin of Hassan Nasrallah, Safieddine was generally considered the "number two" in Hezbollah for many years. In 2017, he was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States and was also designated as a terrorist by several of the Arab Gulf states. Following Nasrallah's assassination on 27 September 2024, during the Israel–Hezbollah conflict, Safieddine was widely considered his likely successor. On 3 October 2024, Safieddine was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in Dahieh, south of Beirut. His death in the strike was confirmed later that month.

Contents

Early life

Safieddine was born in 1964 in Deir Qanoun En Nahr, southern Lebanon, to a respected Shia family. [1] His name is also rendered as Safi al-Din. [1] [2] He was a maternal first cousin of Hassan Nasrallah. [3] [4] He was the brother of Abdallah Safieddine, [5] a key Hezbollah figure based in Tehran. [6]

Safieddine studied theology in Najaf, Iraq, and in Qom, Iran, together with Nasrallah, [7] until he was recalled to Lebanon by Hassan Nasrallah in 1994, [8] and had been groomed by Nasrallah as a successor ever since. [9] [10]

Career

In 1995, Safieddine was promoted to the Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Assembly), the highest council in Hezbollah, [8] after which he operated under Imad Mughniyeh, until the latter's assassination in 2008. He was also appointed head of the Jihad Council. [8] The Executive Council, of which he was president, oversees Hezbollah's political, social, and educational activities. [11] [12]

Until Nasrallah's assassination on 27 September 2024, Safieddine was among the three major leaders of Hezbollah. The other two were Hassan Nasrallah and Naim Qassem. [13] He was regarded as second only to Nasrallah. [7]

In 2006, Safieddine was reportedly promoted by Iran as a possible successor to Hassan Nasrallah for the post of Secretary-General of Hezbollah. [8] [14]

Safieddine was one of six clerics who were members of the Shura Council of Hezbollah. [15] He was the head of the executive council of the group, also known as Shura Tanfiziyah, [16] to which he was elected in the general assembly meeting in July 2001. [17] [18] He was one of nine members of the deciding consultative council (Shura al-Qarar), which is the top body of the group. [19]

In October 2008, Safieddine was elected to succeed Nasrallah as secretary general of Hezbollah in the general meeting. [20] [21] He was considered the "number two" figure in the organization. [22] [23] His appointment as heir apparent to Nasrallah was supported by Iranians. [19] In 2009, Safieddine was again elected to the Shura Council. [24] In November 2010, he was appointed Hezbollah's military commander of the Southern Lebanon region. [25]

In May 2017, Safieddine was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of State. [11] [26] [11] [27] He was also designated as a terrorist by Saudi Arabia. [28] In May 2018, Safieddine and nine other senior Hezbollah figures (including Nasrallah and Naim Qassem) were sanctioned by the U.S. and several of its Arab allies (including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain). [29] In 2020, the U.S. sanctioned two Lebanon-based companies, Arch Consulting and Meamar Construction, which are both subordinate to the Executive Council of Hezbollah, [30] receive guidance and direction from Safieddine and Sultan Khalifah As'ad, [31] [32] [33] and are accused of concealing money transfers to the accounts of Hezbollah leadership, "while the Lebanese people suffer from inadequate services". [30] [33]

After Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah's headquarters in September 2024, Safieddine was widely expected to be named as his successor. [34] [6] He was recognized for his similarity to Nasrallah in both appearance and manner of speaking, [4] and for his strong ties with the Iranian regime and the Ayatollah. [27] In the immediate aftermath of Nasrallah's death, the Saudi news outlets Al Arabiya and AlHadath reported that Safieddine had been officially designated as his successor, although Hezbollah denied this via Telegram. [35] Although Qassem was formally Hezbollah's acting leader, after Nasrallah's death, Safieddine assumed control over the organization. [6]

Assassination

On the night of 3 October 2024, an Israeli Air Force strike targeted Safieddine at a location in Dahieh, a Beirut suburb that is a Hezbollah stronghold. [36] [2] [37] [38] The airstrike targeted an underground bunker [38] at which Hezbollah intelligence chief Hussein Hazimah ("Mortada") was also believed to be located. Hezbollah said that they had lost contact with Saffiedine ever since and that he was missing. [2] [39] [40]

Several days after the attack, his death in the strike was announced by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and later Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. [41] [42] On 22 October 2024, the IDF confirmed the killings of Safieddine, Hazimah, and other senior Hezbollah members. [43] [44] The IDF said his body had been found. [43] [45] [46] Hezbollah acknowledged his death the next day. [6]

Personal life

Safieddine was married to Raeda Faqih. In June 2020, their eldest son, Reza, married Zeinab Soleimani, the youngest daughter of the Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani, who had been killed by an American drone strike in Iraq in January of that year. [47] [48]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hezbollah</span> Lebanese political party and militant group

Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. Its armed strength was assessed to be equivalent to that of a medium-sized army in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hassan Nasrallah</span> Secretary-General of Hezbollah from 1992 to 2024

Hassan Nasrallah was a Lebanese cleric and politician who served as the secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militia, from 1992 until his assassination in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dahieh</span> Suburb south of Beirut, Lebanon

Dahieh is a predominantly Shia Muslim suburb in the south of Beirut, in the Baabda District of Lebanon. It has a minority of Sunni Muslims, Christians, and a Palestinian refugee camp with 20,000 inhabitants. It is a residential and commercial area with malls, stores and souks, and comprises several towns and municipalities, including Ghobeiry, Haret Hreik, Bourj el-Barajneh, Ouzai, and Hay El-Saloum. It is north of Rafic Hariri International Airport, and the M51 freeway that links Beirut to the airport passes through it.

Hezbollah originated within the Shiite block of Lebanese society. According to the CIA World Factbook estimate in 2022, Shiites comprise 31.2 percent of Lebanon's population, predominating in three areas of Lebanon: Southern Lebanon, Beirut and its environs (Dahieh), and the northern Beqaa valley region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ideology of Hezbollah</span> Shiite radicalism

Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political and militant group based in Lebanon, is driven by an ideology that combines religious, political, and social elements. Founded in the early 1980s, Hezbollah's ideology is deeply rooted in Shia Islam and influenced by the Iranian Revolution. Central to its ideology is opposition to Western influence and Israeli occupation, which it frames as a struggle for justice and liberation, while also positioning Islam as a comprehensive solution to social and political issues. Hezbollah's ideological framework is articulated through its foundational documents, such as the 1985 "Open Letter" and the 2009 "New Manifesto," which emphasize themes of anti-Zionism, anti-Americanism, and the establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia. The movement also advocates for pan-Islamism and pan-Arabism, promoting unity among Muslims and Arabs while supporting Iran as a model of sovereignty.

Hezbollah has a Foreign Relations Unit and maintains relations with a number of foreign countries and entities. These are particularly Shia states, but also Sunni groups like those affiliated with the Palestinian cause; and the group is also suggested to have operations outside the Middle East in places such as Latin America and North Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naim Qassem</span> Secretary-General of Hezbollah since 2024

Naim Qassem is a Lebanese Shia cleric and politician who has served as the secretary-general of Hezbollah since 29 October 2024. He previously served as the deputy secretary-general from 1991 to 2024.

Khalid Ahmad Bazzi was a Lebanese military commander who was the commander of Hezbollah's military wing, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon. In the 2006 Lebanon War, he was commanding officer in the battles of Maroun ar-Ras and Bint Jbeil. The heavy Israeli casualties and lack of progress of its army in these two battles is widely seen as the main cause of the Israeli failure in the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustafa Badreddine</span> Hezbollah member (1961–2016)

Mustafa Badreddine was a Lebanese militant leader and both the cousin and brother-in-law of Imad Mughniyeh. He was nicknamed Dhu al-Fiqar referring to the legendary sword of Ali. His death was seen as one of the biggest blows in the Hezbollah leadership.

The January 2015 Mazraat Amal incident was an airstrike against a two-car convoy that killed six Hezbollah fighters, including two prominent commanders, and a general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Mohammad Ali Allahdadi, at al-Amal Farms in the Quneitra District of Syria, in the Eastern Golan Heights, on 18 January 2015, during the Syrian Civil War. The attack was largely attributed to Israel, which did not officially confirm that it carried it out. Hezbollah and IRGC held Israel responsible and threatened to retaliate. On 19 January 2015, Al-Nusra Front member Abu Azzam al-Idlibi claimed that Jihad Mughniyeh and the other Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Al-Nusra Front ambush at Jaroud in the Qalamoun Mountains in the Al-Qutayfah District northeast of Damascus, claiming that it "will be the end of the Persian project, God willing."

The Jihad Council of Hezbollah is a council responsible for directing the groups' military and security activities. It also exercises considerable influence over the organization's various civilian branches and maintains ties with external partners, including Iran, a key patron of the group.

Events in the year 2024 in Lebanon.

This timeline of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict covers the period from 2 January 2024, with the Assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, until 31 March 2024, one day prior to the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Karaki</span> Lebanese Hezbollah militant (1967–2024)

Ali Karaki was a Lebanese militant who was a member of Hezbollah's Jihad Council. He served as the commander of the Southern Front of Hezbollah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Hezbollah headquarters strike</span> Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon

On 27 September 2024, Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. The strike took place while Hezbollah leaders were meeting at a headquarters located 60 feet (18 m) underground beneath residential buildings in Haret Hreik in the Dahieh suburb to the south of Beirut. Conducted by the Israeli Air Force using F-15I fighters, the operation involved dropping more than 80 bombs, including US-made 2,000-pound (910 kg) bunker buster bombs, destroying the underground headquarters as well as nearby buildings. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) codenamed the operation "New Order".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon</span> Ongoing Israeli military operation against Lebanon

On 1 October 2024, Israel invaded Southern Lebanon in an escalation of the ongoing Israel–Hezbollah conflict, a spillover of the Israel–Hamas war. The conflict marked Israel's fourth invasion of Lebanon since 1978.

On the night of 3 October 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out an airstrike on an underground bunker in Dahieh, a predominantly Shia Muslim suburb in the south of Beirut, Lebanon, where Hezbollah leaders, including Hashem Safieddine, had convened in the headquarters of Hezbollah's Intelligence Branch. Safieddine was later confirmed dead by both the IDF and Hezbollah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed</span>

Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed is the Head of the Political Council of Hezbollah. Following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and that of his potential successor Hashem Safieddine, Lebanese sources have mentioned al-Sayyed as a potential candidate for the position of Hezbollah's Secretary-General.

On 10 October 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out an airstrike in Bachoura in central Beirut, Lebanon, as part of the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The airstrike in the densely populated neighborhood killed at least 22 Lebanese people and injured another 117. The apparent target of the airstrike was Wafiq Safa, the brother-in-law of former Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, who reportedly evaded the assassination attempt against him. Israel used US-made JDAM fit for 2,000-pound bombs in the attack. The attack has been the deadliest attack in Beirut since the start of the 2023 Israel–Hezbollah conflict on 8 October 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Kafr Kila clashes</span> 2024 Israel-Hezbollah engagement

The 2024 Kafr Kila clashes began in the southern Lebanese village on 1 October 2024, amid the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

References

  1. 1 2 "Senior Hezbollah figure Hashem Safi al-Din publicly stated Hezbollah participates in the campaign in south Syria". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 29 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Barak Ravid (3 October 2024). "Israel targets potential Hezbollah successor in Beirut airstrike". Axios .
  3. ↑ Ahmad Rafat (7 July 2020). "A Marriage of Convenience Bolsters Iran's Mideast Presence". Kayhan Life. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  4. 1 2 Daou, Marc (1 October 2024). "'Easy' choice: Hezbollah's likely new leader is Nasrallah's cousin, Hashem Safieddine". France 24 . Archived from the original on 2 October 2024.
  5. ↑ "Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Top Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine is dead". Associated Press. 23 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Sayyed Nasrallah re-elected for another term". The Weekly Middle East Reporter. 5 December 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 David A. Daoud (4 June 2017). "State Department Blacklists Hashem Saffiedine". Long War Journal . Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017.
  9. ↑ Stephanie Rady. "Who is Hashem Safieddine, potential new leader of Hezbollah?". Anadolu Agency . Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  10. ↑ Avon, Dominique; Khatchadourian, Anaïs-Trissa; Avon, Dominique (2012). Hezbollah: a history of the "party of god". Cambridge, Mass. London: Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0-674-06752-3.
  11. 1 2 3 "State Department Terrorist Designations of Hashem Safieddine and Muhammad al-Isawi". United States Department of State. 19 May 2017.
  12. ↑ John Davison (21 May 2017). Mark Potter (ed.). "Hezbollah calls U.S. administration 'mentally impeded' during Trump Saudi visit". Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019. Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, president of the Iran-backed Shi'ite group's executive council, said Washington would not be able to do any real harm to Hezbollah.
  13. ↑ "IRGC-Hezbollah Captagon Ring Compromised by War Over Profits". Middle East Transparent. 27 April 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  14. ↑ Shmuel Bar (29 October 2006). "Lebanese Hizballah – Political, Ideological and Organizational Highlights" (PDF). National Defense University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. According to reports from Iran, the Iranians have already appointed him the head of the Executive Council and Nassrallah's cousin as his successor
  15. ↑ Barry Rubin, ed. (2010). Guide to Islamist Movements. New York; London: M.E. Sharpe. p. 329. ISBN   978-0-7656-1747-7.
  16. ↑ Dominique Avon; Anaïs-Trissa Khatchadourian; Jane Marie Todd (2012). Hezbollah: A History of the "Party of God". Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press. p. 215. ISBN   978-0-674-06752-3.
  17. ↑ Ahmad Nizar Hamzeh (2004). In The Path of Hizbullah. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. p. 45. ISBN   978-0-8156-3053-1.
  18. ↑ "Hezbollah (part I)" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. July 2003. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  19. 1 2 Shmuel Bar (29 October 2006). "Lebanese Hizballah – Political, Ideological and Organizational Highlights" (PDF). Center for Complex Operations. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  20. ↑ Dudi Cohen (13 October 2008). "Nasrallah replacement chosen". Ynetnews. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  21. ↑ "Kuwaiti daily reports extension of Nasrallah mandate". Now Lebanon. 1 November 2008. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  22. ↑ Tal Beeri (8 June 2022). "Hashem Safi al-Din – Head of Hezbollah's Executive Council (and Hassan Nasrallah's Designated Successor?)". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  23. ↑ "Lebanon: Hezbollah's Rising Star". Stratfor . 17 November 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  24. ↑ Shimon Shapira (17 December 2009). "Has Hizbullah Changed?" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  25. ↑ Larbi Sadiki (21 June 2011). "Hezbollah and the Arab revolution". Al Jazeera . Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  26. ↑ "Hashem Safieddine, Hezbollah's new leader?". Reuters.
  27. 1 2 "Who is Hashem Safieddine, Hassan Nasrallah's potential successor?". Hindustan Times.
  28. ↑ "Saudi Arabia blacklists Hezbollah's Hashem Safieddine". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  29. ↑ Zeina Karam; Bassem Mroue (15 November 2018). "Militant or poet? US sanctions Hezbollah leader's son". Associated Press . Beirut. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  30. 1 2 Daphne Psaledakis. "U.S. blacklists Hezbollah official, Lebanon-based companies". Reuters.
  31. ↑ "US imposes sanctions on businesses in Lebanon with links to Hezbollah". Arab News. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  32. ↑ "Treasury Targets Hizballah Executive Council Companies and Official". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  33. 1 2 "US sanctions Hezbollah-linked companies and official, Iranian cyber actors". Jewish News Syndicate.
  34. ↑ "Hashem Safieddine: possible successor to Hezbollah chief Nasrallah". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  35. ↑ "Hezbollah denies choosing Hashem Safieddine as Nasrallah replacement". The Jerusalem Post/Reuters. 30 September 2024.
  36. ↑ Christou, William; Beaumont, Peter (4 October 2024). "Israel launches intense attacks on Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut's south". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 4 October 2024.
  37. ↑ David Gritten, Massive blasts in Beirut after renewed Israeli air strikes, BBC News (4 October 2024).
  38. 1 2 IAF strike in Beirut targets possible Nasrallah successor, Jewish News Syndicate (4 October 2024).
  39. ↑ "Hezbollah loses contact with senior leader Hashem Safieddine: Sources". Al Jazeera . 5 October 2024. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024.
  40. ↑ Qiblawi, Tamara (5 October 2024). "Hezbollah has lost contact with possible Nasrallah successor, source says". CNN . Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  41. ↑ Spencer, Richard (8 October 2024). "Hezbollah successor was killed in airstrike, says Netanyahu". The Times . Archived from the original on 8 October 2024.
  42. ↑ Mackenzie, James; Gabeily, Maya (8 October 2024). "Israel says it has killed slain Hezbollah leader's successors". Reuters.
  43. 1 2 Grylls, George (22 October 2024). "Hashem Safieddine: Israel kills Hezbollah heir to Nasrallah". The Times . Archived from the original on 22 October 2024.
  44. ↑ "Israel confirms 'eliminating' Hashem Safieddine, potential successor of slain Hezbollah chief Nasrallah". Arab News. 22 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  45. ↑ Ari, Lior Ben (22 October 2024). "IDF confirms Nasrallah's designated successor dead". Ynetnews. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  46. ↑ "IDF confirms death of top Hezbollah leader; Blinken meets with Netanyahu". The Washington Post . 23 October 2024. Archived from the original on 23 October 2024.
  47. ↑ "Who is Hashem Safieddine, Hassan Nasrallah's Potential Successor?". Daraj . 1 October 2024. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024.
  48. ↑ Siegal, Tobias (29 June 2020). "Soleimani's daughter marries Hezbollah leader Nasrallah's cousin". The Jerusalem Post . Archived from the original on 9 July 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.