Cousin Hashem likely to succeed him

The killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in airstrikes in a Beirut suburb has put the spotlight on the man widely regarded as his heir, Hashem Safieddine.

The Iran-backed group confirmed that Nasrallah, who led the group for 32 years, had been killed in Friday’s strike. It now faces the challenge of choosing a new leader after the heaviest pounding the group has faced in its 42-year-old history. Here are some facts about Safieddine, who a source in the group said survived the Israeli attacks. As head of the executive council, Safieddine oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs. He also sits on the Jihad Council, which manages the group’s military operations. Safieddine is a cousin of Nasrallah and like him is a cleric who wears the black turban denoting descent from Islam’s Prophet Mohammed. The US State Department designated him a terrorist in 2017.