Iran appoints ex-IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaee as Supreme National Security Council secretary

Published Aug 22, 05:38 PM UTC

Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaee, a former IRGC commander and close confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has been appointed Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. The 71-year-old, known as the 'eternal candidate' for his three failed presidential bids, was elevated following the U.S.-Israel war launched against Iran on February 28, 2026. After the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Rezaee as military adviser in March 2026. In August 2026, Rezaee replaced Mohammed Bagher Zolqadr as Security Council secretary and was also named the Supreme Leader's representative on the council, making him a key wartime decision-maker. Rezaee, a principalist conservative, co-founded the IRGC in 1979 and served as its commander for 16 years.