Hezbollah’s Next Projected Leader Seen As More Hardline Than Nasrallah

In a defiant speech, Hezbollah's #2 who survived Friday's Israeli decapitation strikes of the group's leadership which killed Hassan Nasrallah, vowed that the Iran-backed group is 'ready' to take on any potential Israeli ground offensive into Lebanon.

Deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Monday insisted Hezbollah will continue to fight despite the huge series of blows which began with the pager explosions. "We are quite ready, if the Israelis want a ground incursion, the resistance forces are ready for that," Qassem declared.

He told the Lebanese people to be "reassured, victory is our ally, we need a bit of patience" and claimed that "Israel was not able to affect our (military) capabilities."

"Israel is committing massacres in all areas of Lebanon until there is no house left without traces of Israeli aggression in it," he continued. "Israel attacks civilians, ambulances, children and the elderly. It does not fight fighters, but rather commits massacres."

At one point in the speech he called out the United States for shipping billions in weaponry to Israel, and for providing intelligence and other support. He called Washington "a partner with Israel, through unlimited military support – culturally, politically, financially." The Biden administration had quickly tried to say it had no prior awareness that Israel was about to assassinate Secretary-General Nasrallah and his top leadership on Friday.

Qassem stressed, "We will win, just as we won in our confrontation with Israel in 2006." But he indirectly acknowledged the group's mounting losses, saying, "There are deputy commanders and there are replacements in case a commander is wounded in any post."

He also hinted at something high on everyone's mind, including Israel's: the question of a successor to Nasrallah. As related by Al Jazeera: 

He added that Hezbollah will install a new leadership soon via "internal mechanisms". The choice of new leadership is clear, Qassem continued, without offering further details.

He said a new chief will be chosen "at the earliest opportunity." Nasrallah had long been an easily recognized figure even on an international front, gaining the respect of both the Arab world and across the religious divide. At times, even Christians and Sunnis and secular leaders in the region would praise his 'resistance' to Israel and ability to command tens of thousands of effective fighters. 

Who might be next?

Much media speculation has focused on Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah and one who even resembles him in appearance. However, he's said to be even more hardline. According to one profile of the potential successor: 

Hashem Safieddine, a potential successor to his slain cousin Hassan Nasrallah, is one of Hezbollah’s most prominent figures and has deep religious and family ties to the Shiite Muslim movement’s patron Iran.

Safieddine bears a striking resemblance to his charismatic maternal cousin Nasrallah but is several years his junior, aged in his late 50s or early 60s.

A source close to Hezbollah, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said the grey-bearded, bespectacled Safieddine was the “most likely” candidate for party’s top job.

The United States has had him on its list of "designated terrorists" since 2017, given his leadership within Hezbollah via the group's decision-making Shura Council, as well as close ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

While Hezbollah sources are currently denying that he's yet been chosen, Reuters and others have been digging into his background. "Safieddine’s family ties and a physical resemblance to Nasrallah, as well as his religious status as a descendant of Mohammed, would all count in his favor," Reuters wrote.

A number of Israeli media sources have labeled him as more extreme than Nasrallah.

Back in 2017, he stated of the Trump administration: "This mentally impeded, crazy US administration headed by [Donald] Trump will not be able to harm the resistance."