WASHINGTON (March 25, 2026) – After the assassination of Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, Iran has named Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Iran has repeatedly had to fill high-level leadership positions following strikes by Israel and the United States, which have killed top officials.
Zolghadr was previously an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander and reached the rank of brigadier general. He also served as the secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council. In his current role, Zolghadr will lead one of the most powerful institutions in Iran, and will be responsible for shaping the country’s defense, nuclear, and foreign policy strategies.
For more analysis on this development, please consider Sina Azodi, Director of the Middle East Studies (MES) and Assistant Professor of Middle East Politics, at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. Azodi is an expert in international relations of the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Policy, U.S.-Iranian Relations, Nuclear non-proliferation, Iran’s nuclear program and Iranian politics. Azodi can discuss the threats of rising tensions between Iran and Israel.
To schedule an interview, please contact Nadia Payne at nadia [dot] payne
gwu [dot] edu (nadia[dot]payne[at]gwu[dot]edu) or GW media at gwmediagwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-