“A hard-line pragmatist.” Who is Mohsen Rezaei, the new Secretary-General of the National Security Council in Iran?

The new Secretary General of Iran's National Security Council is a veteran military figure with significant influence in the regime, and has expressed skepticism about the feasibility of negotiations with the United States. Mohsen Rezaei (71 years old) was appointed Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, succeeding Muhammad Baqir Zulqadr, who had held this position only since last March.

Rezaei was already within the narrow circle of trusted aides to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as he served as his military advisor, but this appointment raises him to one of the most influential positions in the regime. “In my opinion, this represents a tightening of Mojtaba’s control over the IRGC and the decision-making process, ahead of a possible agreement with the United States to end the war,” Iranian-American academic Vali Nasr told Ofoq News.

Rezaei was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, and has spent more than five decades at the heart of Iran's political, security and military establishment. Nasr said that Rezaei has “powers far superior” to those of his predecessor, Dhul Qadr, within the Revolutionary Guards.

A revolutionary figure: Rezaei fought his way through fighting in the ranks of Islamic guerrilla groups during the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and also contributed to drafting the founding charter of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. He was the longest-serving leader of this agency, and played a pivotal role in transforming it into one of the country's strongest institutions.

In his book “Iran’s Grand Strategy,” Nasr noted that Rezaei was “calling for a permanent conflict in the region and with the United States” following the end of the Iran-Iraq war. Hard-line pragmatist: Rezaei has deep roots in Iran's security establishment. He later joined the Expediency Discernment Council, which advises the Supreme Leader, and served as vice president under the late President Ebrahim Raisi.

Also, Rezaei ran for president four times but never won. Trump is “defeated”: Rezaei recently described Trump as lacking “wisdom and deliberation.”

In an interview with the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation (IRIB), he stated that counterattacks launched by Iran during the latest escalation of fighting had forced US forces in the region to change their positions. He said: "Iran obstructed their plan. Trump's third war against Iran was aborted midway, adding a miserable failure to his previous failures."

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz: Rezaei said in a post on the “X” platform last week that if the American blockade of Iranian ports continues, “American ships and forces will face serious risks and suffer human losses.” Rezaei believes that Iran and Oman enjoy sovereignty over this vital waterway.

Regarding the negotiations: Rezaei announced last month that the negotiations with the United States had “ended,” describing them as “just a bridge to cross, not a permanent commitment.” Speaking to Ofek News Network correspondent Fred Pleitgen in June, Rezaei said that if the talks failed, Iran was prepared for the possibility of an American invasion of its territory, adding: “Then the world will realize Iran’s true capabilities.”