Updated

Former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaei has been appointed secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the country's top security body, according to reporting on the move. Rezaei, a long-serving figure in Iran's security and political establishment who led the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq war and later held economic and vice-presidential posts, will oversee coordination of Iran's defence, nuclear and foreign policy files at the council level. The appointment comes at a sensitive moment, with Iran engaged in talks with Oman over arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz and under intensified US economic pressure. Analysts assessed the move as reinforcing the influence of hardline security figures within Iran's decision-making structures, potentially affecting Tehran's posture in negotiations over the strait and its nuclear programme. The council's secretary plays a central role in translating decisions taken by the supreme leader into policy across ministries and the armed forces.