Key positions undergo personnel reshuffle, hardliners take control of core departments! The United States is in trouble! On August 10, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, following a meeting between Iranian President Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Mojtaba, Iran has made significant personnel adjustments. Former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Rezaei, has been appointed Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, while the former secretary position has been reassigned to Mojtaba as his political advisor.
Notably, Rezaei’s appointment as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council was issued by President Pezeshkian. Clearly, immediately after Pezeshkian met with Mojtaba, critical personnel changes were implemented—what message does this convey? It signals that Iran has already completed its strategic alignment through these personnel adjustments. Pezeshkian’s issuance of the appointment indicates the civilian administration’s recognition and acceptance of the Supreme Leader’s strategic setup.
The facts are clear: the Supreme Leader holds ultimate decision-making authority over national security, while the Supreme National Security Council serves as Iran’s highest platform for coordinating nuclear policy, control of the Strait of Hormuz, countermeasures against the U.S. and Israel, and regional proxy strategies. Although the president formally chairs the council, the Supreme Leader’s appointed secretary wields full operational and decision-making power on a daily basis. By appointing Rezaei—a long-time military advisor to Mojtaba and a known hardliner—to this role, it means the National Security Council will now fully implement Mojtaba’s will, ensuring all military, diplomatic, and nuclear crisis decisions are unified under the Supreme Leader’s leadership.
Meanwhile, the previous secretary, Zolghadr, has been reassigned as the Supreme Leader’s political advisor. This move enables direct transmission of intelligence, real-time developments, and contingency plans from frontline security domains straight to the Supreme Leader’s inner circle. In short, after this reshuffle, the military and political elite have reached a unified consensus, eliminating internal factional disputes over strategy. For the United States, this is certainly not good news.
First, Iran has consolidated its internal strategic direction, further solidifying Mojtaba’s authority. Second, following the death of former NSC head Larijani, Zolghadr served only as an interim figure. Now, with Rezaei—a veteran with decades of military and political experience and immense prestige within the IRGC—taking over, Iran’s command chain will become even more streamlined. Clearly, this round of power distribution places influential hardliners in key positions—exactly the scenario the U.S. does not want to see.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873095635798156/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.