Who Is Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s New Security Council Envoy?
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appoints Mohsen Rezaei as his representative to the Supreme National Security Council, replacing Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has formally appointed Mohsen Rezaei as his new representative to the country’s Supreme National Security Council, replacing Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who previously held the position.
On Sunday, the office of Mojtaba Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, issued a statement announcing the appointment.
“Muhsen Rezaei, due to his valuable experience, as one of the pioneers of the glorious eight-year era of the Sacred Defense, I hereby appoint him as my representative to the Supreme National Security Council of Iran,” the statement said.
In the decree, the Supreme Leader wished Rezaei success in his new position and in serving the Iranian people.
Mojtaba Khamenei also expressed his special appreciation to Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr for his efforts and round-the-clock work while carrying out his duties in the position.
Mohsen Rezaei Mirqaed is one of the prominent military, security and political figures in the Islamic Republic of Iran, with extensive experience in sensitive senior positions.
Rezaei was born on Sept. 1, 1954, in Masjed Soleyman in Khuzestan Province and holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Tehran.
In 1981, at the age of 27, Ayatollah Khomeini appointed him commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
He led the IRGC continuously for 16 years, from 1981 to 1997, marking the longest period of leadership of the military organization in Iran’s history, particularly during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War.
From 1997 to 2021, Rezaei served for 24 years as secretary of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council.
In 2021, former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi appointed him as vice president for economic affairs.
Rezaei also served as secretary of the Supreme Council for Economic Coordination of the Heads of the Powers, becoming one of the government’s leading economic officials.
He ran as a candidate in several Iranian presidential elections, including those held in 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2021.