Unnamed sources suggest Hashem Safieddine as the potential future leader of Hezbollah.
An authority from Israel reportedly shared with CNN that Safieddine was the intended target of the attack, but his fate remains uncertain.
Similar to Nasrallah, Safieddine is a close associate of the latter, having studied together in Iran during the early 1980s. Both share a firm opposition towards Israel and the West, with strong ties to the Iranian leadership.
When it comes to Hezbollah, Safieddine served as head of their executive council and was considered a strong contender for the group's top-ranking seat, following the passing of his predecessor. However, Hezbollah has yet to appoint a successor to Nasrallah.
The executive council is a part of the Shura Council, which is the organization's decision-making body, overseeing political matters in contrast to the military-focused Jihad Council, which Safieddine is part of.
In previous statements, Safieddine had spoken highly of Hezbollah's relationship with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its deceased leader, Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport in 2020. Soleimani's daughter is married to Safieddine's son.
Born in 1964 in the Lebanese village of Deir Qanoun En Nahr, Safieddine is a Shiite cleric who shares the same black turban signifying descent from Prophet Mohammed as the late Hezbollah leader.
Over the past year, Safieddine has been a prominent figure on Hezbollah's political stage, particularly during the Gaza conflict, where he consistently criticized Israel's actions in the enclave and along Lebanon's southern border.
According to Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iran-backed Shiite militias, Nasrallah had been preparing roles for Safieddine within various councils within Lebanese Hezbollah.
At the funeral ceremony of a slain Hezbollah member in May, Safieddine boasted about the strength and resilience of his organization, prioritizing the Palestinian cause and the liberation of the Palestinian people.
Following the explosions targeting Hezbollah's pagers and walkie-talkies, Safieddine vowed that his group "will not back down until the end."
Safieddine has consistently been a vocal critic of US policies, which he believes support Israel's actions in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
In 2021, Safieddine accused the US of meddling in Lebanese domestic politics, alleging that "American tyranny" was sabotaging the region's nations, using Iraq and Afghanistan as examples.
The United States designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997, and in 2017, Safieddine was likewise designated as a foreign terrorist.
Despite being designated as a foreign terrorist by the United States in 2017, Safieddine continues to influence political matters in the Middle East, often criticizing US policies that he perceives as supportive of Israel's actions in the region. His words carry weight, as he is a key figure in decision-making bodies within Hezbollah, such as the executive council and the Shura Council, which directly impact the world stage due to Hezbollah's significant influence in the Middle East.
