Who is Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr? The hard‑line commander now shaping Iran’s security

After the decease of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) main Ali Larijani successful a US-Israeli airstrike, the Islamic Republic has named Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr arsenic his successor.

The country’s powerfulness has present shifted to a fig with heavy roots successful some the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s governmental establishment.

Who is Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr?

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a erstwhile commandant of the IRGC, has been appointed arsenic the caller main of the SNSC. The council, formally chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian, coordinates information and overseas argumentation successful Iran and includes apical military, quality and authorities officials, on with representatives of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Zolghadr’s assignment was announced connected X by the lawman communications of President Pezeshkian. His vocation spans decades of subject and governmental experience. He served successful the 1980s Iran-Iraq warfare and aboriginal became caput of the IRGC’s associated unit for 8 years. He had besides served 8 years arsenic lawman commander-in-chief.In 2005, helium was named lawman interior curate for information and constabulary nether President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Since 2023, Zolghadr has been caput of the Expediency Council, a almighty advisory assemblage mediating betwixt Iran’s assorted powerfulness centers and the ultimate leader. Analysts said that his caller relation consolidates the IRGC’s increasing power amid uncertainty astatine the apical of Iran’s leadership, particularly since Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publically pursuing his succession.The SNSC plays a cardinal relation successful Iran’s information and overseas argumentation decision-making.

Larijani, 1 of the astir salient non-clerical figures successful Iranian authorities was astatine the halfway of Iran’s enactment effect to the escalating warfare successful the Middle East and the broader determination crisis. Following Khamenei’s death, Larijani led a transitional assembly alongside 2 others, guiding Iran’s situation absorption until his assassination.With Zolghadr’s appointment, the IRGC present has a stronger beingness successful the council, perchance influencing some subject operations and diplomatic negotiations. “The cognition is that Zolghadr volition person the last accidental connected information and subject matters wrong the council,” Al-Jazeera reported citing a source.According to experts, immoderate imaginable talks with the US oregon different determination powers volition apt necessitate Zolghadr’s approval. “Whoever is progressive astatine the dialog array indispensable get Zolghadr’s sign-off,” said analysts acquainted with Iran’s governmental system.