The latest

Iran has appointed veteran Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council during sensitive Omani-mediated negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz. State media reported late Sunday that Rezaei replaced Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who resigned months after taking office. Zolghadr had been appointed after Ali Larijani was killed in a March air strike. Rezaei will also represent Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on the council, while Zolghadr becomes the leader’s political adviser.

Details

• Military influence: Rezaei commanded the Revolutionary Guards during the Iran-Iraq war and has held several senior state positions, alongside making unsuccessful presidential bids. Johns Hopkins University professor Vali Nasr said both men favour a firm approach towards Washington, but Rezaei’s seniority and long tenure commanding the Guards give him greater authority among military officials.
• Tehran’s conditions: Zolghadr said Saturday that reopening the strait would require US forces to withdraw from Iran’s vicinity, compensation for wartime damage and the lifting of sanctions. A Guards spokesperson echoed those demands. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi subsequently said an agreement with Oman remained possible, but reopening the waterway depended on meeting Iranian requirements.
• Failed interim deal: Washington and Tehran agreed a memorandum of understanding in June intended to extend a ceasefire and gradually restore toll-free shipping to prewar levels. The arrangement collapsed after Iran targeted vessels using a channel along Oman’s coast, which Tehran described as unauthorised. The attacks prompted escalating retaliatory strikes before hostilities later eased.
• Competing positions: President Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist who also chairs the security council, advocated an agreement, saying Iran could not fight indefinitely. Conservative politician Hamid-Reza Taraghi said Zolghadr’s conditions reflected Khamenei’s position and attributed Tehran’s tougher posture to US military deployments and Washington’s co-operation with Israel.
• Mixed signals: Iranian analyst Saeed Laylaz linked Tehran’s inconsistent messaging to wartime conditions, restricted access to Khamenei and longstanding competition among rival factions. Taraghi acknowledged that different positions on the strait naturally existed within the ruling system but said the supreme leader ultimately determined policy. Khamenei has not appeared publicly since being wounded in strikes that killed his father.

Between the lines

The appointment does not establish an immediate policy change because Rezaei and Zolghadr are both former Guards commanders identified with hardline positions. Rezaei’s stronger military standing may nevertheless increase his influence over a decision requiring alignment between the security council, armed establishment and supreme leader.

What’s next

Attention now turns to whether Tehran and Muscat complete their proposed temporary shipping arrangement and whether it incorporates Iran’s stated conditions. Any formula for reopening the Strait of Hormuz must then be approved by the Supreme National Security Council and Khamenei before implementation.