Khamenei appoints Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem as his representative in Lebanon

Khamenei appoints Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem as his representative in Lebanon
2025-02-05T09:06:39+00:00

Shafaq News/ Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem as his representative in Lebanon, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.

Qassem succeeds Hassan Nasrallah, the former Hezbollah chief, who previously held the position as Khamenei’s envoy in the country.

Nasralla was killed on September 2024 in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Hezbollah named Qassem as its secretary-general after he spent decades as Nasrallah’s deputy, despite not being the widely expected choice for the role.

His appointment comes after Israel also assassinates Hashem Safi al-Din—Nasrallah’s cousin and a leading candidate to succeed him—in an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Qassem, 71, holds an advanced degree in chemistry and is fluent in French and English. Before rising in Hezbollah’s ranks, Qassem worked as a chemistry teacher for several years.

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