Iran has appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, following the death of his predecessor, Ali Larijani, in an Israeli air strike on March 17. Zolghadr, a retired brigadier general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), brings decades of military and political experience to the role.
Born in 1954, Zolghadr is a veteran of the Iraq-Iran war and co-founded the Ramazan Garrison in 1983. He subsequently rose through the ranks of the IRGC, serving as head of its Joint Staff from 1989 to 1997 and as deputy commander-in-chief from 1997 to 2005. He has also held political appointments, including Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and has served as Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council since September 2021.
Zolghadr succeeds Larijani, who was temporarily leading the Islamic Republic following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in strikes attributed to the United States and Israel. Larijani, 67, was killed last week in an Israeli attack, prompting warnings from Iranian army chief Amir Hatami of “decisive” retaliation.
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The Middle East remains highly volatile following joint US-Israel air strikes on Iranian targets on February 28, which have exacerbated tensions across the region. Gulf states, including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, have experienced collateral impacts, with civilian casualties reported.
Amid the escalation, US President Donald Trump announced a temporary five-day pause on strikes targeting Iranian energy and power infrastructure on Monday. However, Iranian media reported new attacks on central and southwestern energy facilities shortly after the announcement, highlighting ongoing uncertainty in the conflict.
Zolghadr’s appointment marks a critical moment for Iran’s security apparatus as it navigates both domestic leadership transitions and heightened regional tensions, with the Supreme National Security Council expected to play a central role in shaping the country’s response to external threats.
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