For decades, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah helmed Hezbollah, steering the organization through relentless confrontations with Israel. Under his leadership, Hezbollah evolved into a formidable military entity, gaining considerable influence across the region, buoyed by Iran’s steadfast support. Nasrallah emerged as one of the most significant Arab figures of that era.
Tragically, the Iran-backed Hezbollah announced that Nasrallah had succumbed to an Israeli aerial attack on Beirut just yesterday.
To his admirers, Nasrallah was a symbol of resistance, standing valiantly against Israeli aggression and US dominance. However, detractors viewed him merely as the face of a terrorist group, serving as a conduit for Iran’s Shi’ite theocracy amid the ongoing power struggles in the Middle East.
In a stirring address delivered on August 1st during Hezbollah’s top military commander Fuad Shukr’s funeral—who had fallen victim to an Israeli strike—Nasrallah articulated, “We are facing a great battle.” Yet, following a series of attacks that left many Hezbollah members wounded and killed last week, the tide seemed to shift against his organization.
On September 19, in response to the assault on Hezbollah’s communication systems, Nasrallah pledged severe retribution against Israel. “A reckoning is on the horizon, its form and extent remain under wraps, even among ourselves,” he asserted cryptically, marking his first public speech since the attacks. The statements reflected a man poised on the edge of crisis, yet determined to regroup and retaliate.
Since then, Israel has aggressively intensified its military operations, targeting high-ranking Hezbollah figures and unleashing widespread bombings across areas under Hezbollah’s control, resulting in staggering casualties.
Even his opponents recognized Nasrallah’s prowess as a captivating speaker, compelling both followers and foes to pay heed to his words. Donning the traditional black turban, emblematic of a sayyed or descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, Nasrallah’s speeches served dual purposes: galvanizing his supporters and delivering calculated threats, often accompanied by gesticulations to emphasize his points.
Ascending to the role of secretary-general at a mere 35 in 1992, Nasrallah presented himself as the public face of a previously enigmatic group established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to combat Israeli occupation. His rise to prominence followed the assassination of his predecessor, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, which occurred during an Israeli helicopter strike. Under Nasrallah’s leadership, Hezbollah ultimately forced Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon in 2000, bringing an end to an 18-year-long occupation.
The phrase “Divine Victory” became synonymous with his reign after Hezbollah waged a fierce 34-day war against Israel in 2006, garnering admiration from many Arabs who had witnessed the repeated failures of their own forces against Israeli military might.
Nonetheless, as Hezbollah’s footprint expanded beyond Lebanon into Syria and elsewhere, Nasrallah grew increasingly polarizing. His actions reflected a deepening sectarian rift between Shi’ite Iran and the Sunni Arab monarchies allied with the US, complicating Lebanon’s already fragile political landscape.
Nasrallah defended Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria, framing it as a necessary struggle against extremist forces. Critics, however, contended that such entanglements plunged Hezbollah deeper into a regional sectarian morass. At home, his critics maintained that Hezbollah’s adventurous foreign policy exacted a heavy toll on Lebanon, alienating once-friendly Gulf allies and contributing to the nation’s dire financial crisis in 2019.
After the 2006 conflict, Nasrallah found himself navigating a tightrope as tensions with Israel simmered. He discreetly amassed Iranian missiles, engaging in a perilous game of threat and counter-threat. The ongoing Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s audacious assault on Israel on October 7, intensified skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israel, claiming the lives of numerous fighters, including several key leaders.
In light of these developments, Nasrallah reaffirmed the group’s commitment to the Palestinian cause in his August 1 speech, saying, “We are here paying the price for our front of support for Gaza and for the Palestinian people.” He hailed from the impoverished Karantina neighborhood of Beirut. His family’s roots lie in Bazouriyeh, a village in southern Lebanon that serves as Hezbollah’s political nucleus.
Growing up amid the harrowing environment shaped by Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979, Nasrallah spent many nights alongside guerrilla fighters resisting Israeli forces. The loss of his teenage son Hadi in 1997 cemented his stature among Lebanon’s Shi’ite populace, granting him a legacy built on sacrifice.
Over the years, Nasrallah has fearlessly confronted formidable adversaries, issuing pointed warnings amidst escalating tensions. Following the outbreak of war in Gaza, he cryptically cautioned US naval vessels in the Mediterranean: “We have prepared for the fleets with which you threaten us.” In 2020, he vowed that American soldiers would depart the region in coffins after Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike in Iraq.
His fierce opposition towards Saudi Arabia over its military intervention in Yemen has been a notable aspect of his leadership. Riyadh’s campaign against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels drew Nasrallah’s ire; he warned the kingdom and the UAE to cease hostilities or face dire consequences. “Don’t bank on a conflict with Iran or you will face annihilation,” he forewarned Riyadh.
On the home front, tensions have also brewed. In 2008, he accused the Lebanese government, supported by the West and Saudi Arabia, of instigating war when it attempted to shut down Hezbollah’s communication networks. He boldly declared intentions to “cut off the hand” of anyone trying to disrupt the unity of his organization, leading to a brief but intense civil confrontation in which Hezbollah clashed with Sunni and Druze militias, effectively seizing control of much of Beirut.
Nasrallah staunchly denied any involvement by Hezbollah in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. After a UN-backed tribunal targeted several of his associates, he dismissed the proceedings as politically motivated tools wielded by his adversaries. Despite the eventual convictions of some of Hezbollah’s members in absentia, Nasrallah’s stance remained firmly entrenched in defiance.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
