Updated

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaee as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, according to reporting by Middle East Eye. Rezaee will simultaneously serve as the Supreme Leader's personal representative on the council, a dual role that places him at the centre of Iran's security and defence decision-making apparatus. He replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who had assumed the post following the assassination of Ali Larijani in US-Israeli attacks in March. The appointment continues a pattern of elevating figures with IRGC backgrounds to senior civilian-facing security institutions, and follows a period of significant turnover in Iran's leadership ranks after the strikes earlier this year. Rezaee, a long-serving former IRGC chief who has also held economic and vice-presidential posts and run for president multiple times, is regarded as a hardline figure within the establishment. The SNSC is the principal body coordinating Iran's positions on nuclear negotiations, military posture and internal security, giving the secretary substantial influence over ongoing talks and any decisions on the Strait of Hormuz standoff.