Key facts
- Mohsen Rezaei has been appointed as the new secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
- The appointment was announced by the office of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
- Rezaei previously commanded Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and served in economic affairs.
- The SNSC coordinates the country's security and foreign policy.
- Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei also appointed Rezaei as his representative on the SNSC.
Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, has been appointed as the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), the body responsible for coordinating the country's security and foreign policy. The announcement was made late Sunday by the office of President Masoud Pezeshkian. Rezaei, 71, previously commanded the Revolutionary Guards from 1981 to 1997 and later served as secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council for over two decades. He also held the position of vice president for economic affairs from 2021 to 2023.
Rezaei's predecessor, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, had only been in the role since late March. No reason was provided for the change, and it remains unclear if this appointment will signal a shift in policy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had recently stated that Iran and Oman were close to an agreement on a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, dependent on conditions including U.S. compensation to Iran.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei also issued a decree appointing Rezaei as his representative on the SNSC, citing his "valuable experiences." Khamenei simultaneously appointed Zolqadr as his political adviser. Rezaei holds a doctorate in economics but has spent most of his career within Iran's security and political establishment.