Iran appoints former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei to lead top security council

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has appointed hardline former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei, 71, as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Rezaei, who also becomes Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's representative on the council, replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr following his resignation. The high-profile reshuffle comes amid critical negotiations over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a waterway Rezaei previously declared more important than dozens of atomic bombs.

Rezaei appointment as SNSC secretary

• ▪Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council on August 9, 2026.
• ▪Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Mohsen Rezaei as his representative to the Supreme National Security Council on August 9, 2026.

Rezaei IRGC command tenure

• ▪Mohsen Rezaei previously served as a military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
• ▪Mohsen Rezaei served as the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from 1981 to 1997, spanning almost the entire Iran-Iraq war.

Rezaei controversial wartime record

• ▪Interpol approved a Red Notice for Mohsen Rezaei in 2007 over his alleged involvement in the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires.
• ▪Mohsen Rezaei commanded the Revolutionary Guards during the controversial Operation Karbala-4 in December 1986, which resulted in heavy Iranian casualties.

Zolghadr resignation from SNSC

• ▪Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr had assumed leadership of the Supreme National Security Council in March 2026 following the death of Ali Larijani.
• ▪Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr resigned as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council on August 9, 2026, after serving in the role since March 2026.

Zolghadr new political adviser role

• ▪Following his resignation, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr was appointed as a political adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
• ▪Analyst Danny Citrinowicz suggested that Zolghadr's appointment as political adviser was a method to keep him close and integrated within the regime.

Strait of Hormuz strategic importance

• ▪Mohsen Rezaei declared in July 2026 that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz was more important than dozens of atomic bombs.
• ▪The United States has maintained that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to all vessels without Iranian tolls on commercial shipping.