After Hassan Nasrallah's death in an IDF airstrike at Hezbollah's headquarters beneath a residential building in Dahiyeh last week, Safieddine was picked to lead the Iran-backed group.

Hezbollah’s likely new leader Hashem Safieddine is like his late predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, a staunch critic of Israel and the West, with deep alliances with the Iranian leadership.

A cousin and possible successor to Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader assassinated by Israel, Safieddine joined the group soon after it was formed and rose quickly up its ranks.