Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, Naim Qassem, has reportedly fled Lebanon and is now residing in Tehran amid fears of assassination by Israel, according to a report by The Times of Israel.
Qassem left Beirut on October 5 on a plane used by Tehran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, during his state visit to Lebanon and Syria, as reported by UAE-based Erem News, citing an anonymous Iranian source.The source revealed that Qassem’s relocation was ordered by high-ranking officials in Iran due to fears of an Israeli assassination attempt.
Since the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Qassem has delivered three speeches. The first was recorded in Beirut, while the second and third were given in Tehran, according to Erem News.
Israel has targeted and eliminated multiple senior Hezbollah members as part of its ongoing campaign against the group. The eliminated leaders include founding member Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, top commander Ali Karaki, deputy head of the central council Nabil Kaouk, head of the drone unit Mohammed Srur, head of the missile unit Ibrahim Qubaisi, operations commander Ibrahim Aqil, and senior commander Mohammed Nasser.
Recently, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, known for planning the 2023 cross-border attacks in Israel, was killed after being shot in the head during a firefight with Israeli forces in Rafah, southern Gaza.
The Israeli military has announced plans to target Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure in Beirut and other areas soon. Rear admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, said that evacuation warnings would be issued, saying, “Anyone near sites used to finance Hezbollah’s terrorist activity is required to stay away from them immediately.”