Subhi al-Tufayli

Subhi al-Tufayli, born in nineteen forty-eight, is a prominent Lebanese Shi'ite cleric and politician known for his significant role in the founding of Hezbollah in nineteen eighty-two. He served as the first secretary-general of the organization from nineteen eighty-nine until nineteen ninety-one, gaining a substantial following among the Shi'ite community in the Beqaa Valley, where he was regarded as a leading scholar.

Despite his early alignment with Hezbollah, Tufayli has become a vocal critic of both the Iranian influence in the region and the current leadership of Hezbollah. His divergence from the party became pronounced in the nineteen nineties following the death of co-founder Abbas al-Mousawi. Tufayli's insistence on prioritizing armed resistance against Israel clashed with the emerging faction led by Hassan Nasrallah, which sought to engage more in Lebanese politics.

The ideological rift culminated in violent confrontations between Tufayli's supporters and Hezbollah members, leading to his expulsion from the organization in nineteen ninety-eight. Since then, he has remained an outspoken opponent of Hezbollah and Iran, rallying his followers to resist Iranian hegemony in the region.