- Iran has changed its secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, appointing former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei as second-in-command on the body that coordinates the country’s security and foreign policy.
- The appointment was announced late on Sunday (August 9, 2026) by President Masoud Pezeshkian’s deputy director of communications. Mr. Rezaei is more of an outspoken public figure than his predecessor, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr.
- A decree from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Sunday (August 9) also appointed Mr. Rezaei as his representative on the SNSC, joining fellow hardliner Saeed Jalili, with the decree citing Mr. Rezaei’s “valuable experiences”, including his role during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
- In the same decree, Khamenei appointed Mr. Zolqadr as his political adviser.
- No reason was given for the change and it was not immediately clear if it would herald any change in policy.
- Mr. Zolqadr had only been appointed as SNSC secretary in late March, after his predecessor, Ali Larijani, was killed in an air strike during the war pitting Iran against the U.S. and Israel.
- Mr. 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.
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). This change, announced on August 9, 2026, by President Masoud Pezeshkian's deputy, follows the brief tenure of Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, who had only been in the position since March 2026.127
Rezaei, 71, is known for his outspoken nature and extensive experience, having commanded the Revolutionary Guards from 1981 to 1997 during the Iran-Iraq war. He also served as secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council for over two decades and was vice president for economic affairs under hardline President Ebrahim Raisi from 2021 to 2023. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Rezaei as his representative on the SNSC, citing his “valuable experiences” from the Iran-Iraq war.3
The appointment raises questions as no reason was provided for the change, and it remains unclear if this will lead to any shifts in Iran's security or foreign policy. The SNSC plays a crucial role in coordinating the country’s security strategies, and Rezaei's leadership may signal a more hardline approach, especially given his alignment with fellow hardliner Saeed Jalili, who also serves on the council.
Zolqadr, who was appointed after the death of Ali Larijani in an airstrike, has now been reassigned as Khamenei's political adviser.6
“Rezaei, 71, commanded the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps from 1981 to 1997 and later served as vice president for economic affairs under Ebrahim Raisi. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei also named him as his representative on the council, citing his 'valuable experiences' from the Iran-Iraq war.”
