Who Is Mohsen Rezaei? 71-Year-Old War Hawk Running Iran's Security Council
Rezaei replaces Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr as second-in-command of the body that coordinates Iran's security and foreign policy and is chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Zolqadr was appointed as political adviser to Khamenei.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei recently named six new leaders within the Iranian military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) following the deaths of their predecessors in Israeli-US strikes. Ali Abdollahi, who will serve as chief of staff for Iran's Armed Forces, was appointed with Kioumars Heydari as his deputy.
Ahmad Vahidi, remaining head of the IRGC, has been given a deputy in Mostafa Izadi. Ali Ozmaei, who will head the IRGC Navy, is assisted by Hossein Taeb as his deputy. It's worth noting that Vahidi and Ozmaei had already held their positions informally but lacked official appointment from the Supreme Leader's office. Earlier this week, Khamenei named two influential figures to senior political roles.
Mohsen Rezaei, who once commanded the IRGC from 1981 to 1997, was appointed as Khamenei's representative on the Supreme National Security Council. Furthermore, Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr, who had served in various key IRGC positions since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, including deputy chief from 1997 to 2006, was appointed as Khamenei's political advisor.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Iran supreme leader names IRGC General Abdollahi military chief middleeasteye.net
- Khamenei names new Iran military, IRGC chiefs after commanders killed in Israeli-US strikes jpost.com
- Iran appoints former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaei as national security council secretary english.ajel.sa
- Iran hierarchy consolidation as IRGC veteran tapped for key security role aljazeera.com
