Is the New Secretary General of Hezbollah in Tehran? Meet Naeem Qassem, Author of Books on Khomeini and Khamenei

After Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran and Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, it is likely that at least one leader of the Islamic Republic's proxies will take over the leadership of Hezbollah Lebanon from within Iran: Naeem Qassem, author of books about Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei, who is said to have traveled to Tehran with Araqchi and is now based there. Hezbollah Lebanon announced on Tuesday, November 8, the election of Naeem Qassem as the new Secretary General of the group. He succeeds Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed a few weeks ago in an Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah's command center in southern Lebanon. Naeem Qassem has traveled to Iran multiple times and has met with Islamic Republic officials, including Ali Khamenei, the leader of the regime. He has written a book about Ruhollah Khomeini and another about Ali Khamenei. Qassem's book about Khamenei, titled 'The Reviving Leader,' discusses the views and perspectives of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. His book about Ruhollah Khomeini is titled 'Imam Khomeini, Authenticity and Renewal.' According to some reports, he traveled to Tehran two weeks ago with Abbas Araqchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister who had gone to Lebanon, and has been residing there since. An Iranian source told the Emirati site Aram News that Qassem left Beirut on an Iranian plane with Abbas Araqchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, heading to Damascus and from there to the Iranian capital. If Naeem Qassem's presence in Iran is confirmed, the relocation of the leader of the terrorist group Hezbollah to Iran could add new complexities and dimensions to the tensions and conflicts between the Islamic Republic and Israel. Since the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of this Iran-supported militia group, Naeem Qassem has been leading Hezbollah. He strongly attacked Israel during a televised speech on Tuesday, claiming that the military capabilities of the group have not been harmed. According to the Associated Press, Naeem Qassem, like Nasrallah, is a founding member of this political party and militia group, but many consider him to lack the charisma of the former Hezbollah leader and the skill in oratory. However, in recent months, Naeem Qassem, a cleric with a white turban and gray beard, has often been the public face of the group. After Hassan Nasrallah went into hiding for fear of being killed by Israel and only appeared in televised speeches, Naeem Qassem attended rallies and public ceremonies and engaged with foreign journalists. Mohannad Hij Ali, a senior expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center who researches Hezbollah, says that Naeem Qassem is considered by many to be 'more extreme' than Nasrallah, at least in his public statements. However, his power within the group under Nasrallah's leadership was limited. Hashem Safieddin, a relative of Nasrallah, oversaw the political affairs of the group and was referred to as the next leader of the group. Naeem Qassem has been sanctioned by the U.S., which considers Hezbollah Lebanon a terrorist group. Born in the village of 'Kfarfila,' he was born in 1953 in the southern Lebanese village and studied chemistry at the University of Lebanon before working for several years as a chemistry teacher. During this time, he also pursued religious studies and participated in the establishment of the Lebanon Union for Muslim Students, an organization aimed at promoting religious adherence among students. In the 1970s, he joined the 'Deprived' movement, a political organization founded by Musa Sadr that sought greater representation for the historically marginalized poor Shia community. This group later became the 'Amal' movement, which was one of the main armed groups in the Lebanese Civil War and is now a political party. Naeem Qassem then joined the newly formed Hezbollah, which was established with the support of the Islamic Republic after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the occupation of southern parts of the country. He served as Deputy Secretary General of the group since 1991, initially during the time of Abbas Mousawi, Nasrallah's predecessor, who was killed in an Israeli attack in 1992. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant reacted to Naeem Qassem's appointment as the new Secretary General of Hezbollah on Tuesday, November 8. The Israeli Defense Minister posted a short message on 'X' along with a picture of Naeem Qassem, stating that the tenure of this Nasrallah successor would also be 'temporary' and would not last long. Naeem Qassem has been leading the group since Israel killed Nasrallah last month, and unofficial reports indicate that he went to Iran following the escalation of Israeli attacks against Hezbollah. Washington warns Tehran: Another attack on Israel or American forces will have 'severe consequences.' The Wall Street Journal: Israel's attack on the Islamic Republic's positions also undermined the credibility of Russian military equipment. The Islamic Republic says it will use 'all tools' to respond to Israel. The location of the Israeli cabinet meeting was changed due to security concerns. An Israeli general stated: 'We attacked the Islamic Republic's strategic systems.' Galant regarding the 'precise' attack on the Islamic Republic: 'No place is far for Israel.' Netanyahu: 'Israel struck a precise and powerful blow to the air defense and missile production capabilities of the Iranian regime.' Israeli fighter jets attacked weapons manufacturing sites and Hezbollah's weapons depots in Beirut. Concurrently with Hezbollah's warnings, the Israeli army reduced restrictions in the northern sections of the country.