Who will be next Hezbollah chief? Nasrallah's cousin top contender. Here's why

Hashem Safieddine is seen as the likely successor to his cousin, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah chief who was killed in an Israeli airstrike at its headquarters in Lebanon's Beirut.

While Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem will temporarily assume leadership, according to AFP, the group's Shura Council must elect a new secretary-general. Safieddine, a prominent figure with strong ties to its patron Iran, is considered the top contender for the position.

A source close to Hezbollah said Safieddine is the "most likely" candidate for the leadership, AFP reported.

Lebanese researcher Amal Saad echoed this. Safieddine "has a lot of authority... he's the strongest contender" she added.

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Who is Hashem Safieddine, the likely successor to Hezbollah's chief?

1. Hashem Safieddine is the cousin of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He is believed to be in his late 50s or early 60s.

2. The United States and Saudi Arabia listed Safieddine as a "terrorist" in 2017 for his senior leadership role in Hezbollah.

3. Safieddine has close connections to Iran as having studied in holy city of Qom. His son is married to the daughter of late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm who was killed in a 2020 US strike in Iraq.

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4. He has the title of Sayyed, his black turban marking him, like Nasrallah, as a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.

5. Unlike Nasrallah, who often remained in hiding, Safieddine has attended political and religious events openly in recent years.

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How was Hezbollah formed?

Hezbollah was established during the Lebanese civil war in 1982, following Israel's siege of Beirut.

It was created with the support of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and joined "the Resistance" force for fighting Israeli forces that occupied southern Lebanon until 2000.