Iran has named former IRGC commander Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as its new national security chief, replacing Ali Larijani who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The move signals a harder line as the US-Israeli war enters its fourth week.
Iran Appoints Hardline Ex-IRGC Commander as New National Security Chief:
Iran has installed a former senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as its top national security official, replacing Ali Larijani just days after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The move, announced Tuesday by the president’s office and approved by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, hands one of the Islamic Republic’s most powerful posts to Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr-a hardline military veteran little known to the public but long embedded in the Guard’s political and economic networks.
As the US-Israeli war against Iran enters its fourth week, the leadership change is being read as a clear signal: the Revolutionary Guard is tightening its grip on decision-making at the exact moment Tehran faces relentless military pressure and domestic economic strain.
Zolghadr Appointed Iran’s New Security Council Chief After Larijani’s Death:
Iranian state television and the president’s deputy for information, Mohammad Mahdi Tabatabaei, confirmed the appointment on Tuesday. Zolghadr, who reached the rank of brigadier general in the IRGC and previously served as deputy commander, takes over the SNSC-the body that coordinates the country’s nuclear policy, foreign affairs, and military strategy.
Larijani, 67, had been viewed as Iran’s de facto leader in the chaotic weeks following Khamenei’s death. A heavyweight non-clerical politician with decades of experience, he was killed in an Israeli strike last week, one of several high-profile assassinations that have decapitated much of Iran’s pre-war security establishment.
The timing is stark. Just days after the supermarket “pay after the war” sign went viral-illustrating the daily desperation inside Iran-the regime has chosen a career Guardsman to steer its response to the conflict that began with US-Israeli Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.
Zolghadr Takes Hardline Lead as Iran Escalates Strikes Amid War:
The 2026 Iran war erupted when US and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear sites, missile program, and naval capabilities. Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in the opening hours, triggering a rapid power transition to his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, on March 8. Larijani was elevated to SNSC secretary last year and quickly became the public face of Iran’s defiance, issuing appeals for regional support and overseeing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Zolghadr’s background is markedly different. A veteran of the Iran-Iraq war and a longtime IRGC insider, he has held roles in the Interior Ministry and Justice Ministry and helped expand the Guard’s influence over Iran’s economy and politics. Analysts note he is far more aligned with the hardline faction that dominates the Revolutionary Guard than Larijani, who maintained some diplomatic channels.
The appointment comes as Iran continues launching ballistic missiles toward Israeli targets and US assets in the Gulf, while suffering repeated airstrikes on military and energy infrastructure. Global oil prices remain volatile, and ordinary Iranians face the very shortages and price spikes captured in last week’s viral supermarket photograph.