Iran’s Khamenei names Hezbollah leader as Lebanon ‘representative’
February 5, 2025
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has appointed Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as his representative in Lebanon, responsible for religious and non-litigious affairs. Qassem succeeds Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Hezbollah, part of Iran’s “axis of resistance,” delayed public commemorations for Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine until a February 23 funeral due to security concerns amid recent Israel-Lebanon tensions.
