Iran Appoints New Head of Security Council After Previous Leader Killed

Iran has appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, according to a report from the IRNA news agency citing the president’s office. With this appointment, Zolghadr now serves as one of the key figures in Iran’s power structure. He previously held the position of Secretary of Iran’s Policy-Determining Council. Zolghadr replaces Ali Larijani, who was killed last week by Israel. Larijani was the most senior Iranian official to die following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reported to have passed away on the first day of the war’s outbreak. Larijani was known as a former Iranian nuclear negotiator and a close ally of Khamenei. He was also an influential figure in Iran’s national security policy for many years.