Iran names new security chief wanted by Interpol for 1994 bombing

Iran has appointed Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and an individual wanted by Interpol, to lead the country's Supreme National Security Council. The presidency announced the move on Sunday, with Rezaei taking over from Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who will now serve as a political adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Rezaei, 71, is internationally sought for his alleged role in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, an attack that killed 85 people and injured hundreds. An Argentine court has attributed the bombing to Hezbollah terrorists funded by Iran.

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In light of the resignation of Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr from his position as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and his appointment to new functions, President Masoud Pezeshkian has named Mohsen Rezaei as the head of this body.

This appointment marks another significant change within Iran's top security body, which has seen several senior officials killed amidst a war. Rezaei previously commanded the IRGC from 1981 to 1997 and has held various other high-ranking political positions, including serving as a military adviser to the younger Khamenei. He recently emphasized Iran's strategic importance in controlling the Strait of Hormuz, calling it more critical than nuclear weapons.

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control of the Strait was “more important than dozens of atomic bombs,”