Nasrallah replacement chosen

Iranian newspaper reports Safi al-Din elected chairman of Hizbullah executive council, to take over if Nasrallah assassinated
Dudi Cohen

Hizbullah leadership chose Hashem Safi al-Din to be the chairman of the organization's executive council and, as such, the successor to the organization's secretary-general, the Iranian newspaper Khoursid reported Monday.

According to the paper, al-Din is now in place to take control of the organization in the event that "the Zionists succeed in assassinating Hassan Nasrallah."

The report, based on information from senior Iranian officials, noted that Nasrallah's predecessor, Abbas Musawi, was assassinated by Israel in 1992.

"The use of similar leaders in succession is one of the ways that Hizbullah wages psychological warfare against the Zionist enemy, in that the assassination of one leaders does not create a problem or harm the armed resistance," the newspaper wrote.

In an August speech , Nasrallah himself accused Israel of seeking to assassinate Hizbullah commanders. "I tell the Zionists: We don't fear you. Say whatever you want and do whatever you want. We know that you are planning new assassinations of resistance leaders. But this will not make us retreat," he said.

Roee Nahmias contributed to this report