Iran has appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council following the killing of Ali Larijani, who had been serving as the country’s de facto leader, Iranian officials said.
The announcement was made by Mehdi Tabatabaei, an aide to President Masoud Pezeshkian, who said the appointment was approved by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and issued under a presidential decree.
Zolghadr is a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has held several senior security roles. He previously served as deputy interior minister for security affairs under former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and held positions related to internal security and crime prevention within Iran’s judicial system.
The Supreme National Security Council is one of Iran’s most powerful decision-making bodies, overseeing key security and strategic policies.