Iran appoints Mohsen Resai to head National Security Council

Mohsen Resai, a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, has been appointed the new chairman of the National Security Council, according to Iranian media reports. The appointment was made by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who also announced it on X.

This move could indicate a further consolidation of influence by the Revolutionary Guards within the government. Resai replaces Brig. Gen. Mohammed Bagher-Zolghadr, who had recently presented the U.S. with a list of conditions for ending the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. These conditions included the U.S. never threatening the Islamic Republic again and ending the war against Iran and its regional allies.

General Major Resai is considered a veteran figure in Iran's power apparatus. He was part of an organization that reportedly prepared the ground for the 1979 Islamic Revolution and later commanded the Revolutionary Guards during the Iran-Iraq War. In recent years, he has focused on politics and is seen as an influential figure in security circles. Argentine prosecutors have named Resai as one of the masterminds behind the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

The National Security Council is a key decision-making body in the Islamic Republic, handling national security matters. Its members include ministers and generals, and its decisions are final after approval by the religious leader. The article also briefly mentions that the Iran-Iraq war is depleting U.S. arsenals, frustrating Donald Trump.