Logically, it is Hezbollah’s number two, Naim Qassem, who will serve as interim leader until a new leader is appointed. But this can take the direction of movement.
Hassan Nasrallah’s right-hand man since 1991, the 71-year-old Deputy Secretary-General, is considered one of the founding members of the group. Without much military experience, he is a representative of the conservative religious wing of the party. He has a political role, and has participated in all of the movement’s strategic decisions in recent years.
Qassem or Saffieddine?
But Hashem Safi al-Din, Hassan Nasrallah’s cousin, is the most prominent candidate to take over the position. This cleric has been considered for years to be the undeclared heir to Hassan Nasrallah. He chairs the party’s Executive Council, which acts as a government, which has allowed him to gain extensive experience in political, financial, administrative and military matters.
