Critics say Hezbollah faces a leadership crisis after Nasrallah — Asharq Al-Awsat
In Lebanon, Hezbollah is preparing to mark the second anniversary of the killings of former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Hashem Safieddine. A public event is planned near Nasrallah’s mausoleum in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the group’s current secretary-general, Naim Qassem, is expected to speak.
As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, roads leading to the mausoleum from the old airport road and the Ziad Rahbani Highway are to be closed during the event, with traffic redirected along other routes. The publication notes that after Nasrallah’s death, the group has still not fully overcome the loss of the leader who headed it for around 33 years — from 1992 to 2024.
Assessments by the group’s supporters
Political analyst Qassem Kassir, whom the publication describes as being familiar with Hezbollah’s position, said that after losing Nasrallah, Safieddine, as well as a number of the group’s cadres and leaders, it was able to reorganize its structures and preserve cohesion under Qassem’s leadership. According to him, it is now more focused on Lebanon’s internal situation, the country’s south and the confrontation with Israel.
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Kassir acknowledged Nasrallah’s exceptional charisma but called Qassem an important organizational and administrative figure. In his view, Hezbollah has entered a new stage that requires a different approach in the political, military and combat spheres.
Assessments by critics
Jad al-Ahawi, head of the Coalition of Lebanese Democrats and an opponent of Hezbollah, said that Naim Qassem has so far failed to fill the vacuum left by Nasrallah. In his assessment, Nasrallah combined organizational, political and military leadership and maintained direct contact with supporters, whereas Qassem had long been deputy secretary-general.
Political activist and Lebanese University psychology professor Mona Fayyad argues that under Qassem’s leadership, the group’s ability to mobilize supporters has declined significantly and internal disagreements have emerged. She also said that Hezbollah’s decisions are increasingly made directly in Iran. These are assessments by the publication’s interlocutors, not independently verified facts.
