Mohsen Rezaei, the former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from 1981 to 1997, was named secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) on August 9, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The appointment was made by President Masoud Pezeshkian and announced by his deputy communications director, Seyed Mehdi Tabatabaei, who said, "Zolghadr has resigned and will take up a new post, and Rezaei will succeed him as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council" [5]. Rezaei, age 71 at the time of appointment, is a close ally of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and is known for his hardline stance, especially regarding the Iran-US conflict and strategic control of the Strait of Hormuz [3, 5, 6, 7].

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who had served as SNSC secretary since March 2026, stepped down to become political adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei [1, 2, 8, 4, 5, 7]. The Supreme Leader issued a decree appointing Rezaei as his personal representative on the council, highlighting Rezaei's extensive security background and his experience during the Iran-Iraq war [2, 3, 6, 7]. The SNSC coordinates Iran's security and foreign policy, chaired nominally by the president but ultimately answerable to the Supreme Leader [2, 5, 7].

Rezaei has emphasized the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, once stating it is "more important than dozens of atomic bombs" [1, 8, 7]. He holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Tehran and has held political roles including vice president for economic affairs from 2021 to 2023 [2, 3, 6]. Analysts see his appointment as a consolidation of hardliner power, especially within the Revolutionary Guards faction, partly to check the growing influence of moderate President Pezeshkian and parliament speaker Kalibaf [5, 9, 6]. Saeid Golkar, a professor at Tennessee University, commented, "This appointment does not necessarily mean a shift in policy to be more hardline or pragmatic. Instead, Rezaei and Kalibaf might compete politically because both want to be king" [5].

The appointment coincided with a broader reshuffling of Iran’s top military leadership by Khamenei between August 9 and 10, 2026, which included six other senior military posts such as IRGC commanders and militia leaders [8, 10].

Rezaei officially took office as SNSC secretary on August 9, 2026, as Zolghadr transitioned to his advisory role for the Supreme Leader [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7].