Retired Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr has been officially appointed as the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. The announcement was made on March 24, 2026, by Seyed Mehdi Tabatabai, deputy head of communications at the Iranian president’s office, through a post on social media platform X. The appointment was made by order of the president and approved by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei.

Zolqadr replaces Ali Larijani, who was killed last week in an Israeli-American attack. Larijani had served as the council’s head since August 2025. Zolqadr, a key figure in Iran’s political and security establishment, previously held senior roles in the judiciary, including responsibilities for strategic, social-security, and crime prevention affairs.

Before this appointment, Zolqadr served as secretary of the Supreme Advisory Council and earlier as deputy interior minister for security under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Tehran and is reportedly under international sanctions for his involvement in Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.