An Israeli airstrike in Beirut reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine, seen as a potential successor to Hassan Nasrallah. The attack has not been officially confirmed by Israel or Hezbollah, but Safieddine held a critical position in the group’s leadership.

A cousin and possible successor to Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader assassinated by Israel, Safieddine joined the group soon after it was formed and rose quickly up its ranks.

Nasrallah was confident in his security and trusted his inner circle completely, despite Iran's serious concerns about potential infiltrators within Hezbollah's ranks.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack on Hezbollah's booby-trapped pagers on September 17, Khamenei sent a message with an envoy to beseech the Hezbollah secretary general to leave for Iran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Hezbollah leader Syyed Hassan Nasrallah to flee Lebanon days before he was killed in an Israeli strike, three Iranian sources said.