Mohsen Rezaee appointed Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council

Iran has appointed Mohsen Rezaee, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, one of the Islamic Republic's most significant strategic positions. The 71-year-old has been subject to an Interpol Red Notice since 2007 due to allegations of involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people and injured hundreds. Argentine officials have identified Hezbollah as the perpetrators and Iran as the sponsor of the attack; both Tehran and Hezbollah have denied these allegations. Rezaee is the second person to hold the position following the death of Ali Larijani, who was killed in an Israeli strike last March during the conflict between Israel and Iran. Rezaee replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who has been appointed as a political advisor to Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the Supreme Leader. A veteran of the IRGC, Rezaee served as its commander from 1981 to 1997 before holding various senior government roles, most recently as a military advisor to the Supreme Leader. Rezaee’s recent comments regarding the Strait of Hormuz have also drawn attention; he stated that Iran would not tolerate any maritime corridor outside its control, describing the waterway as more important than dozens of atomic bombs. In 2022, Argentina requested his arrest during an official visit to Qatar, though the request was unsuccessful. Buenos Aires continues to seek his detention, alleging that Rezaee was present at the meeting where the AMIA bombing plot was allegedly finalised.