Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, has relocated from Lebanon to Iran out of fear that Israel may attempt to assassinate him, according to a Sunday report by the Emirati website Aram News, citing an Iranian source.
The Iranian source claimed, according to the website, that Qassem, who is considered the de facto leader of Hezbollah since the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, has been in Tehran since October 5.
The source added that Qassem left Beirut that same day on an Iranian plane, accompanied by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to Damascus, and from there, he continued to Tehran.
Under orders from Tehran
According to the source, Qassem’s second speech was broadcast from his residence in Tehran, while only the first was broadcast from Beirut.
The Iranian source also claimed that Qassem's transfer to Tehran was carried out under the orders of senior Iranian officials.