Israeli warplanes conducted a series of airstrikes late Thursday night in an effort to target Hashem Safieddine, the cousin and expected successor of the slain Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The attack, one of the most intense in the region since Nasrallah's death, aimed to eliminate Safieddine, who was believed to be attending a meeting of senior Hezbollah officials at the time. While the outcome of the airstrikes on Safieddine remains unclear, Israeli officials, speaking anonymously, disclosed the operation as part of Israel's ongoing efforts to dismantle Hezbollah's leadership, following their recent incursion into southern Lebanon. Hashem Safieddine, born in the early 1960s in southern Lebanon, has been a prominent figure within Hezbollah since the group's inception in the 1980s. Rising swiftly through the organization's ranks alongside Nasrallah, Safieddine held various key roles, encompassing political, spiritual, and military leadership within Hezbollah. He is recognized for his religious background, often seen in a black turban symbolizing his status as a respected Shiite cleric tracing his lineage to Prophet Muhammad. Safieddine's close ties with Iran are notable, having studied in Qom and forming a strong bond with Iranian figures, including the late Qassim Suleimani, former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Quds Force. His son's marriage to Suleimani's daughter underscored the deep connections between Safieddine's family and Iran, emphasizing Iran's influence within Hezbollah. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia designated Safieddine as a terrorist in 2017 due to his leadership role in Hezbollah, highlighting his involvement in the group's political and organizational activities. The United States has long considered Hezbollah a terrorist organization, holding it responsible for various attacks targeting Americans, such as the bombings of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut in the 1980s. Safieddine's designation as a terrorist reflects the ongoing tensions between Hezbollah and Western nations, particularly the U.S., regarding the group's activities and influence in the region.