Safi al-Din emerges as prominent candidate for Hezbollah leadership

(MENAFN) In the wake of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's assassination, Safi al-Din has emerged as a prominent candidate for the party's leadership. Born in 1964 in Deir Qanoun, a southern Lebanese town, al-Din is part of a distinguished Shiite family and is related to Nasrallah as his cousin. Their close kinship is complemented by striking similarities in their appearance and manner of speaking, including a shared lisp when pronouncing the letter "R."

Al-Din’s family has played a significant role in Lebanon's political and religious spheres, with notable figures like Muhammad Safi al-Din, who served in parliament during the 1960s and 70s. Both Safi al-Din and Nasrallah received their education in Shiite seminaries located in Najaf, Iraq, and Qom, Iran, during the 1980s, which helped shape their ideological foundations.

In 1983, Safi al-Din wed the daughter of Muhammad Ali al-Amin, a respected member of Lebanon's Shiite Islamic Council. His family ties extend further into influential networks; in 2020, his son Reza married Zainab Soleimani, the daughter of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general assassinated by U.S. forces in Baghdad. Additionally, Safi al-Din's brother, Abdullah, has been Hezbollah's representative in Iran but has come under U.S. sanctions due to allegations involving drug trafficking and money laundering linked to the organization.

As Hezbollah faces this crucial leadership transition, Safi al-Din's extensive political connections and familial ties position him as a key player in the party's direction moving forward.

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