Key facts
- Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) endorsed a US deal to end hostilities.
- Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a former hardline IRGC general, replaced Ali Larijani as SNSC secretary.
- Zolghadr's endorsement of the deal was met with opposition from ultraconservative principlists.
- Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement opposing the deal, empowering critics.
- Zolghadr resigned in protest of Khamenei's statement, and his resignation was accepted.
- Mohsen Rezaei, a former IRGC commander, was appointed as the new SNSC secretary.
Iran's political landscape is marked by a significant rift between factions supporting a deal with the United States and hardline ultraconservatives, a division that has intensified following a recent shake-up within the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
Following the late June agreement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the U.S. to de-escalate hostilities, the SNSC issued a statement endorsing the accord. This statement was notably signed by Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a former hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general who had replaced the moderate Ali Larijani, a proponent of a deal with Washington who was killed in March.
While the SNSC secretary in Iran does not typically hold a vote on the council, Zolghadr's simultaneous appointment as the supreme leader’s representative granted him voting authority. His endorsement of the agreement surprised ultraconservative principlists, who subsequently launched verbal attacks against him, including claims about his son residing in Austria.
The situation escalated when Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a statement indicating his opposition to the agreement in principle, while placing responsibility on the negotiators. This move effectively emboldened hardliners to intensify their criticism of the deal, the government, the negotiating team, and Zolghadr.
According to sources, Zolghadr expressed his dissatisfaction to Khamenei and offered his resignation, which was promptly accepted. This resignation was unusual, as it was explicitly in protest of a decision by the supreme leader. Principlists publicly claimed Zolghadr was removed for aligning with President Masoud Pezeshkian's pro-deal stance, a claim contradicted by conservative sources familiar with the events.
President Pezeshkian reportedly attempted to persuade Khamenei to reject Zolghadr's resignation, seeking to retain him due to his alignment with the government's approach. However, these efforts failed. Khamenei then appointed former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei as his representative to the SNSC, compelling Pezeshkian to appoint Rezaei as secretary despite initial resistance.
Rezaei, a veteran of Iran's military and political establishment, has a history that includes involvement in the Iran-Contra affair and past presidential runs. While he has publicly adopted hardline rhetoric regarding U.S. actions, sources suggest he has personally favored pragmatism and restoring relations with the U.S. His political career has been characterized by adapting his positions to prevailing circumstances.