Iran replaces top security official killed in Israeli attack
Iran appointed Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr on March 24 to replace Ali Larijani as the head of the Supreme National Security Council. Larijani was killed in American-Israeli airstrikes on March 17. Although Larijani was involved in suppressing protests from late 2025 to early 2026, he was previously seen as a pragmatist in geopolitics and supported some economic liberalization inspired by Chinese leader Deng Xiaping’s reforms.
Zolqadr, on the other hand, is known for his hardline stance in Iranian political and religious circles. He has held significant positions in the past, such as deputy security chief at the Interior Ministry, deputy to the armed forces’ general staff, and advisor to the judiciary chief for crime prevention.
Zolqadr also led the electoral office of the hardline political faction, the Popular Front of the Islamic Revolutionary Forces. Since 2022, he has been the secretary of the Discernment Council of the Supreme Leader’s senior order, an assembly that resolves disputes between the Parliament and the Guardian Council and supervises elections.
The Supreme National Security Council, officially under the authority of President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, coordinates security and foreign policy and includes top military, intelligence, and government officials, along with representatives of the supreme leader who have the final say on state matters.
Another key figure undergoing restructuring is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Parliament President since 2020 and a former commander of the air component of the Revolutionary Guards. With military and political experience, he bridges the gap between combat forces and state institutions.
President Donald Trump has made various, often contradictory statements, including recent talks of “negotiations” with Tehran. While the political-military power in Iran has been hit by Israeli-American military operations, a shift towards purely military rule, led by the Revolutionary Guards as the new dominant force, has taken place.
Journalist Georges Malbrunot summarizes the situation, stating that Trump was right in bringing about a regime change in Iran. The religious-military regime transitioned to a purely military regime, with the Revolutionary Guards in control, while the new supreme leader serves as a religious cover for the military power.
Apart from President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is a surgeon, the other officials mentioned are former Revolutionary Guards. The new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, has yet to make a public appearance, despite numerous messages supposedly coming from him being circulated.
Context: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the President of the Iran Parliament, and Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, the newly appointed head of the Supreme National Security Council, are both central figures in the restructuring of power dynamics in Iran.
Fact Check: Confirm the accuracy of the claims made by journalist Georges Malbrunot regarding the shift in political-military power in Iran.
