Mohsen Rezaei
Mohsen Rezaei is a senior Iranian military figure and political official who currently serves as the senior military adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A former Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he remains a central architect of Iran's regional security strategy and its direct military confrontations with Israel and the United States.
Mohsen Rezaei is one of the most enduring figures in the Islamic Republic's security apparatus. Having commanded the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for sixteen years (1981–1997), including during the pivotal Iran-Iraq War, Rezaei transitioned into high-level political and advisory roles, including the Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council. In his current capacity as a senior military adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he exerts significant influence over the 'Axis of Resistance' and Iran's strategic posture. In June 2026, Rezaei emerged as a primary voice of Iranian defiance during a period of direct escalation with Israel and the United States. Following reports of Israeli strikes on Iranian military infrastructure—including air defense systems in Tabriz and drone warehouses in Tehran—Rezaei issued stern warnings that any further Israeli action would be met with a "crushing response." His rhetoric often links Iranian military maneuvers to broader regional pressure, such as threats to international shipping lanes. In June 2026, Rezaei personally framed a missile salvo launched from Iranian soil toward Israel as retaliation for alleged Israeli violations of ceasefire agreements in Lebanon. Beyond Israel, Rezaei has directed sharp threats toward the United States, specifically targeting President Donald Trump. He has claimed that U.S. military actions in the region are a "mud" from which American forces cannot escape, asserting that Iranian missiles will only sink the U.S. deeper into conflict. His role involves setting the ideological and strategic justification for Iran's kinetic operations, demanding that Washington choose between accepting Tehran's terms or losing its global credibility.