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Iran Taps Longtime I.R.G.C. Commander Mohsen Rezaei to Top Security Post
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Iran is appointing Mohsen Rezaei, a longtime military commander and former leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, as the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
- Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who resigned and will assume a new position; Zolghadr had taken over after the previous secretary, Ali Larijani, was killed in an Israeli strike earlier this year.
- Rezaei’s appointment is seen as a move to further consolidate power within Iran’s old-guard security establishment, reflecting the influence of senior military commanders.
- The Supreme National Security Council, comprising top civilian and military officials, plays a key role in shaping Iran’s policy towards the ongoing conflict with the United States.
- In June, the council agreed to a memorandum of understanding to pause the conflict, but the agreement quickly collapsed due to disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
