Mohsen Rezaee has been appointed secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, an announcement made by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on X. The move follows a wave of deadly strikes since February 28 that have removed senior officials from Iran's leadership, according to Iranian sources. Rezaee replaces Brigadier General Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr; analysts say the change may strengthen IRGC influence over Iran's security policy. Argentina's prosecutors have also named Rezaee among alleged masterminds of the 1994 Buenos Aires bombing, an accusation he disputes.
Mohsen Rezaee Named Secretary Of Iran's Supreme National Security Council — IRGC Influence Widens
FILE PHOTO - Mojtaba Khamenei (C), son of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is pictured during a protest marking the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (is associated with: «Iran's Khamenei names Rezaee as secretary of National Security Council») Saeid Zareian/dpa
Mohsen Rezaee, the former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been appointed secretary of the country's Supreme National Security Council, state sources reported.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei — who, the reports say, succeeded his assassinated father earlier this year — announced the nomination on X, and multiple media outlets subsequently carried the news.
Context
Since the outbreak of the war on February 28, Iranian officials say a number of senior figures in the country's leadership have been killed in strikes they attribute to US-Israeli actions, reshaping Tehran's security landscape.
Rezaee replaces Brigadier General Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr as secretary of the council. Observers view the appointment as a possible sign of deeper IRGC influence over Iran's national security apparatus and governing institutions.
Rezaee's Background
Major General Rezaee is one of the longest-serving members of Iran's post-1979 political and security elite. He rose rapidly through the ranks during the Iran–Iraq War and was appointed commander of the Revolutionary Guards at age 27. In recent decades he has focused more on politics while remaining an influential security figure.
He has also been accused abroad: Argentina's public prosecutor named Rezaee among the alleged masterminds of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, an attack that killed 85 people and wounded more than 300. Rezaee has denied wrongdoing and the allegation remains contested in international forums.
What The National Security Council Does
The Supreme National Security Council is a central body for formulating Iran's security strategy. Chaired by the president, it includes roughly a dozen members — senior ministers, military officers and other officials — and issues decisions that take precedence over parliamentary votes once ratified by the supreme leader. As secretary, Rezaee will play a key coordinating role in shaping and implementing those decisions within Iran's hierarchical system.
Implication: Analysts say Rezaee's appointment could further consolidate the IRGC's role in national policy-making at a time of heightened tensions and leadership losses.
Help us improve.
