(soft music) - [Narrator] Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has been confirmed dead following a series of Israeli airstrikes in Beirut. - It's a huge blow to Hezbollah, and it comes at the end of two weeks of major strikes against Hezbollah's leadership. (bombs booming) - [Narrator] The attack carried out as Hezbollah leaders gathered in Beirut has created a leadership void in the US-designated terrorist group, risking increased instability and potential conflict throughout the Middle East. - It's hard to emphasize how destabilizing this can be because Hezbollah, over the last 20 years, has grown into a state within a state. Its weakness creates a bit of a vacuum in the country. (bombs booming) - [Narrator] And following a series of attacks that left infrastructure and communications decimated, the death of Nasrallah leaves Hezbollah's future uncertain. (suspenseful music) In addition to Nasrallah,

the airstrike also claims the lives of some of the group's key commanders. Experts have identified executive counsel, Hashim Safi Al Din, as a potential successor, though it remains unclear if he was also a casualty of the attacks. And in the days since Nasrallah's death, Israel has continued to carry out attacks on Hezbollah targets. So it's possible that the expected candidate was also killed. They may land on sort of an interim candidate while they figure out what happens next. - [Narrator] Experts say Hezbollah's leadership structure is designed for succession, which likely guarantees continuity with several layers of potential replacements. - The issues that the further down you go in the organization, the less these people have been tested, battle-tested. And this is a moment in which Hezbollah is facing, really, potentially an existential threat. - [Narrator] Lebanon also faces the threat of escalating internal conflict as divisions deepen within its borders. - There's also the possibility

that Hezbollah's political opponents across the country, from the various ethnic and sectarian groups, will try to seize on this opportunity to gain an upper hand over Hezbollah at what is almost certainly its weakest moment in its 40-something year history. - [Narrator] And while the group possesses a significant arsenal of rockets and weaponry, they have yet to retaliate on a large scale. - Hezbollah has been trying to keep this conflict from escalating. I think Hezbollah wouldn't want to be blamed by the rest of Lebanon for bringing such destruction upon the country. (soft music) - [Narrator] Experts also suggest that Hezbollah may be weighing its options carefully before responding. As Nasrallah's death not only impacts Hezbollah but also its allies, including its main backer, Iran. - The understanding is that Iran is being consulted. They're very heavily involved in Hezbollah operations. And so Iran can mobilize some of its other allies and proxies in the region.

Houthis in Yemen could fire similar missiles towards Israel. Iranian-backed groups in Iran and Syria could fire drones and send drones towards Israel. Then there's more concerning potential that Iran takes out the precision-guided missiles and other power of weapons to use against Israel. And also, it could pursue more directly as nuclear program sort of making a calculation that its proxy strategy has failed and it needs to pursue a nuclear bomb in order to reestablish deterrence with Israel. - [Narrator] Meanwhile, Israel has been preparing for retaliatory strikes and a potential ground invasion, deploying additional forces near the Lebanese border. - In a military sense, it would be a logical time to launch an escalation to launch a ground invasion. Israel has said in recent days that its troops are amassing on the border and preparing for that possibility. They haven't ruled it out. - [Narrator] The senior Israeli official told the Journal that the preference

is to not have a ground invasion. They also have an experience of invading and occupying Lebanon, and it's been a very unpleasant one. They're probably trying to avoid that because it would likely be costly in terms of life for the Israelis, and invasion would also, you know, could set off a chain of reactions, responses from Iran, for example. (soft music) - [Narrator] The United States is watching the situation closely, hoping Nasrallah's death might present opportunities to resurrect ceasefire talks. - Time for ceasefire. - [Narrator] While remaining wary about broader regional escalation. - The Americans, the Western countries, are quite concerned about where this leads and the possibility of that by escalating Israel may be pushing the region towards a bigger conflict that could involve Iran, which is something the US certainly wants to avoid. - [Narrator] And the escalating violence could plunge Lebanon deeper into crisis, heightening political instability and reigniting sectarian divides.

that could further fracture the nation. Lebanon is already in a financial crisis, economic crisis. These people don't have anywhere to go. The communities that are hosting them don't really have the resources to support them. The international community, aid organizations are already stretched thin with multiple crises in Lebanon. So there's a potential that this really drives Lebanon off a cliff.

Hezbollah’s Nasrallah Is Dead: What’s Next for Israel, Lebanon and Iran | WSJ

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Hezbollah’s Nasrallah Is Dead: What’s Next for Israel, Lebanon and Iran | WSJ

Hezbollah’s Nasrallah Is Dead: What’s Next for Israel, Lebanon and Iran | WSJ

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