Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, placing a veteran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps figure in one of the country’s most powerful security posts as Iran continues to manage the fallout from war with Israel and the United States. The announcement was made by presidential communications deputy Mehdi Tabatabaei, who said the appointment had the approval of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Zolghadr takes over after the death of Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian political and security figure who was killed on March 17 in an airstrike near Tehran. Larijani had long been a fixture of the Islamic Republic, serving in top posts that included parliament speaker, nuclear negotiator, and secretary of the same council earlier in his career. His killing removed one of the regime’s best-known power brokers at a moment of severe military and political strain.
Before this promotion, Zolghadr served as secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, another key state body, and earlier held senior roles in the judiciary. He is also a former commander in the Revolutionary Guards, giving him deep ties to Iran’s security establishment as the country leans more heavily on military-linked figures during the current crisis.
The Supreme National Security Council sits at the center of Iran’s decision-making on defense, intelligence, and major foreign policy matters. The president chairs the body, but its work is closely tied to the office of the supreme leader. The appointment suggests Tehran is trying to stabilize its chain of command after a series of high-level losses since the war began on February 28.
