Bad News for Trump: Surprise Appointment in Iran Signals Hardening Stance | Report

A report by Lebanese-Australian journalist Mario Naufal, based on statements by senior cleric Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi, claims that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei plans to replace the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolqadr, with Mohsen Rezaei, a veteran figure in the Revolutionary Guards. The change signals a hardening of positions in Iran's security leadership, amid tensions with the US and efforts to reach understandings in Hormuz. No official confirmation has been received yet.

A report published this evening (Monday) by Lebanese-Australian journalist Mario Naufal, based on statements by senior cleric Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi, who is close to the Khamenei family through marriage, suggests that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei plans to replace the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolqadr, with Mohsen Rezaei – a veteran figure in the Revolutionary Guards and Khamenei's senior military adviser. The report comes amid tensions with the US, after US President Donald Trump canceled a large-scale attack planned against Tehran, and amid pressure from mediators trying to reach understandings regarding passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said he halted the attack following appeals from Gulf states, while Iran denies conducting direct negotiations with Washington and only confirms contacts with Oman regarding the strait. Naufal assessed that if the report is correct, this is not merely a technical change of roles, and that Rezaei's appointment would strengthen the grip of the old generation of Revolutionary Guard commanders on the heart of Iran's security decision-making mechanism, at a time when the country is still at war and under siege. At this stage, no official confirmation of the change has been published.