Who Is Hassan Nasrallah, The Leader Of Hezbollah?

Hassan Nasrallah is the longtime leader of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. Israel's military claims that it killed Nasrallah in a massive air strike in Beirut on September 27. There has been no confirmation from Hezbollah.

In his more than 30 years in charge of Hezbollah, Nasrallah has transformed the Shi’ite militia into a major political force in Lebanon and a powerful adversary of neighboring Israel.

In that time, the 64-year-old cleric has become one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in the Middle East.

To many members of Lebanon’s Shi’ite community, a historically marginalized group, he is a hero. But others consider him a warmonger who has dragged the country into regional conflicts.

Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, although the European Union has only blacklisted its armed wing.

Nasrallah was born in 1960 to a poor family in the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut. After studying at a Shi’ite seminary in Iraq, Nasrallah joined the Amal movement, a militia that sought to elevate the status of Lebanon’s Shi’ite community.

Following Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon in 1982 -- during Lebanon’s devastating civil war -- Nasrallah joined the newly formed Hezbollah.

A charismatic cleric and skilled orator, Nasrallah quickly rose through Hezbollah’s ranks. When Israel assassinated Hezbollah chief Abbas al-Musawi in 1992, Nasrallah was picked as his successor at the age of 32.

Nasrallah speaks during a press conference in Beirut during the Second Lebanon War in July 2006.

Nasrallah forged a close relationship with Shi’a-majority Iran, Hezbollah’s key backer. With significant financial and political assistance from Tehran, Nasrallah built Hezbollah into a powerful political and military entity in Lebanon and a major player in the region.

Hezbollah’s fight against Israel won Nasrallah support inside and outside Lebanon. In 2000, following persistent Hezbollah attacks, Israel withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon after an 18-year occupation.

In 2006, Hezbollah’s kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers triggered a devastating 34-day war with Israel. Despite the destruction and loss of life caused, the war boosted the standing of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the region.

Under Nasrallah’s leadership, Hezbollah came to the aid of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during that country’s civil war, trained Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen, and assisted Hamas, the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group.

Hezbollah has also been accused of orchestrating the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires.

Hezbollah supporters in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, watch a televised speech by Nasrallah, speaking from an undisclosed location in July.

The cleric has rarely been seen in public in the past two decades, with most of his supporters witnessing his once black beard turning gray only on television screens. Wearing a black turban, Nasrallah often delivers long speeches via video link from secret locations due to security concerns.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged constant cross-border attacks. Hezbollah has said that it is acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

Nasrallah’s organization has suffered major setbacks in recent months. Israel has assassinated key members of Hezbollah’s leadership, neutralized a significant part of its military arsenal, and disrupted its communications.

In his most recent speech on September 19, following suspected Israeli attacks targeting electronic devices used by members of Hezbollah, Nasrallah warned Israel that “retribution will come.”