Mohsen Rezaei Takes Helm of Iran's Supreme National Security Council

Iran has appointed a new leader to head its highest national security body. The Iranian presidency made the announcement on Sunday, stating that Mohsen Rezaei, the former commander-in-chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, will be taking over as the head of the Supreme National Security Council. This development comes after the resignation of Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who previously held the position and has now been appointed to new roles. According to the presidency spokesman, Mehdi Tabatabaei, Rezaei's appointment was made by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Rezaei, who is 71 years old, has a long history of service in Iran's military and political spheres. He led the Revolutionary Guards from 1981 to 1997, a period that included the Iran-Iraq war. After his tenure as commander, Rezaei went on to hold several high-ranking political positions and also served as a military adviser to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. In a statement made in July, Rezaei emphasized the importance of controlling the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was 'more important than dozens of atomic bombs'. His predecessor, Zolghadr, was also a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards and had taken up the leadership of the council in March. Zolghadr will now be serving as a political adviser to the supreme leader, as announced by the supreme leader's office on Sunday.