- Mohsen Rezaei has been appointed as the new head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) in Iran, as announced by President Masoud Pezeshkian's deputy director of communications.
- A decree from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei also appointed Rezaei as his representative on the SNSC, citing Rezaei's valuable experiences during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
- No reason was given for the change, and it is unclear if it will herald any change in policy.
- Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr had only been appointed as SNSC secretary in late March, following the death of his predecessor, Ali Larijani, who was killed in an air strike during the war with the US and Israel.
- Rezaei, 71, commanded Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps from 1981 to 1997, including during much of the Iran-Iraq war.
- He later served as secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council for more than two decades and as vice president for economic affairs from 2021 to 2023 under hardline President Ebrahim Raisi.
- Rezaei is considered more of an outspoken public figure than his predecessor, Zolqadr.
Iran has appointed Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, as the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), succeeding Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr.1457
The announcement was made by President Masoud Pezeshkian's deputy director of communications on Sunday, but no reason was provided for the change. This shift in leadership raises questions about potential changes in Iran's security and foreign policy direction.
Rezaei, 71, is known for his outspoken nature, contrasting with his predecessor Zolqadr, who had only been in the position since March after the death of Ali Larijani in an airstrike during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel.
In addition to his new role, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Rezaei as his representative on the SNSC, highlighting his2
“Rezaei, 71, commanded the Guards from 1981 to 1997 and later served as vice president for economic affairs under Ebrahim Raisi. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei also appointed him as his SNSC representative, citing his 'valuable experiences' from the Iran-Iraq war.”
