Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, has been residing in Tehran since early October, according to sources cited by Arabic-language outlets Erem News and Shafaq News.
The move is reportedly due to concerns over potential Israeli assassination attempts. An Iranian source revealed that Qassem left Beirut on October 5, flying aboard an aircraft used by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a state visit to Lebanon and Syria. His transfer was allegedly ordered by senior Iranian leaders, who feared for his safety in light of threats from Israel.
The report also says that since the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel on September 27, Qassem has delivered three speeches—one from Beirut and two from Tehran. Israel has targeted and killed several Hezbollah figures since October 7 of last year.
Naim Qassem, a founding member of Hezbollah, has assumed a more prominent public role following Nasrallah’s death. His political career began with the Lebanese Shi’ite Amal Movement, which he left in 1979 after Iran’s Islamic Revolution. He later participated in the formation of Hezbollah in 1982, an organization established with support from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, according to Reuters.
