Iran names new head of top national security body

Iran has appointed former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaei aged 71 as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the presidency announced on Sunday.

Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who resigned after serving as secretary since March and has been appointed political adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Rezaei led the Revolutionary Guards from 1981 to 1997, including during most of the Iran-Iraq war, and has since held several senior political positions. He recently served as a military adviser to Khamenei.