Mohsen Rezaei, who commanded the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for 16 years, has been appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and personal representative of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to the council. According to the Iran Desk of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security, the appointment comes as negotiations with Oman over maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz approach a decisive stage.
Mohsen Rezaei's appointment places a veteran IRGC commander with 16 years of leadership at the center of Iran's most pressing strategic challenge: the impasse over the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Iran Desk of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security, the appointment comes as Oman-mediated talks approach a decisive phase. Rezaei had opposed opening an additional shipping lane and warned against American naval presence just days before his appointment. Analysts cited in the report suggest that his security credentials could allow him to grant legitimacy to a temporary shipping arrangement within Iran's conservative camp, framing it as a deterrent achievement rather than a concession. The appointment also occurs against a backdrop of severe economic strain: the rial has collapsed to 185,600 toman to the dollar, nearly double its rate a year ago, and oil and gas contract workers report months of unpaid wages. The Jerusalem Center report concludes that the appointment shifts the core question from where ships will pass to who will authorize their passage and under what conditions.
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