A portrait of Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem, in front of a car and a building damaged by Israeli strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, on March 12, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
It has been two years since Naim Qassem took the reins. At least in appearance. On Sept. 27, 2024, Israel assassinated Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. His deputy then found himself, de facto, at the helm of the party, all the more so after the influential and designated successor, Hashem Safieddine, was killed a few days later.The formal announcement of his appointment on Oct. 29 was seen as a turning point in the militia’s history. His relationship with Tehran had been anything but steady; his past calls for greater autonomy from the Iranian patron, along with his ties to the party’s political and moderate wing, had raised hopes that a Lebanese Hezbollah was emerging, one ready to integrate into the state. Two years on, however, Qassem appears above all to be the public face of a group that is more Iranian than ever.The...
It has been two years since Naim Qassem took the reins. At least in appearance. On Sept. 27, 2024, Israel assassinated Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. His deputy then found himself, de facto, at the helm of the party, all the more so after the influential and designated successor, Hashem Safieddine, was killed a few days later.The formal announcement of his appointment on Oct. 29 was seen as a turning point in the militia’s history. His relationship with Tehran had been anything but steady; his past calls for greater autonomy from the Iranian patron, along with his ties to the party’s political and moderate wing, had raised hopes that a Lebanese Hezbollah was emerging, one ready to integrate into the state. Two years on, however, Qassem appears above all to be the public face of a group that is more Iranian than...
