Tehran [Iran], March 24 (ANI): Tehran has announced the appointment of veteran military commander and strategist Mohammad Baqer Zolqadar as the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabai, deputy for communications and information at the Iranian president’s office, confirmed the appointment in a post on X on Tuesday.
Zolqadar was appointed to the top security post by a direct presidential decree, with the endorsement of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei.
He replaces Ali Larijani, who was assassinated in an Israeli-American strike last week. Larijani had served in the position since August 2025.
According to Iranian media, Zolqadar brings decades of experience across Iran’s military, security, and judicial institutions at a critical juncture.
He previously served as deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces for Basij affairs and held senior positions in the judiciary for nearly a decade.
Zolqadar also served for eight years as head of the IRGC Joint Staff during the presidency of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, followed by another eight years as deputy commander-in-chief of the IRGC.
Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the 78th wave of its retaliatory campaign, “Operation True Promise 4,” claiming it targeted highly sensitive Israeli locations such as Dimona, Tel Aviv, and Eilat, as well as several US military bases in the region.
In a statement, the IRGC described the latest phase of the operation as a significant escalation, involving missile strikes on key targets while millions participated in rallies across Iran expressing support for the government.
According to the statement, targets in the port of Eilat, Dimona—a heavily fortified area near Israel’s nuclear reactor—and northern Tel Aviv were struck using Emad and multi-warhead Qadr missile systems, along with attack drones.
The IRGC said this marked the second time it had targeted Dimona. (ANI)
About The Author
