Qassem to deliver 1st speech as new Hezbollah chief

On Tuesday, Hezbollah's Shura Council, the group's central decision-making body, appointed Sheikh Qassem as the group’s secretary-general.

The 60-year-old cleric is a veteran figure in Hezbollah, having served as deputy secretary general of the Lebanese resistance group since 1991.

He was appointed deputy secretary general under Hezbollah’s late secretary general, Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed by an Israeli helicopter attack in 1992, and remained in the role when Nasrallah became leader.

Sheikh Qassem has long been one of the leading spokesmen for Hezbollah, conducting many interviews with foreign media.

MNA