Who is Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr? Iran picks powerful IRGC veteran to replace Ali Larijani
Iran has appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the new head of the Supreme National Security Council, following the assassination of his predecessor, Ali Larijani. Zolghadr, a former Revolutionary Guards commander, is set to influence Iran's defence and foreign policy strategies in war times.
Iran on Tuesday named a former Revolutionary Guards commander, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, as the new chief of the Supreme National Security Council. Seventy-two-year-old Zolgadhr replaced his slain predecessor, Ali Larijani, state television was quoted as saying by the news agency AFP.
Larijani, a powerful figure in the Islamic Republic, was confirmed dead after Israel said it killed him in a strike last week.
Who is Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr?
Zolghadr was previously a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander and reached the rank of brigadier general in the Guard. He has been serving as the secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council.
Zolghadr headed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' educational division in the 1980s and also commanded the IRGC's headquarters for irregular warfare.
Zolghadr was appointed the deputy chief of general staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Basij-related affairs in 2007. In 2012, he became the deputy chief of the judiciary for strategic affairs.
In the new role, Zolghadr will head one of the most powerful institutions in Iran, responsible for shaping the country’s defence, nuclear, and foreign policy strategies.
Early life, family and education
Zolghadr was born in 1954 in Fasa, near Shiraz, Pahlavi Iran. He pursued higher education at the University of Tehran, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Faculty of Economics prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Zolghadr's wife, Sedigheh Begum Hejazi, has served as the director general of the Office of Women and Family Affairs. His son-in-law, Kazem Gharibabadi, is an envoy who represented Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other global organisations.
Before the revolution, Zolghadr was associated with the Mansourun guerrilla group, an Islamist militant organisation active at the time. Some reports said, he, along with Mohsen Rezaei, was involved in the killing of an American engineer and an oil company manager in 1978. LiveMint couldn't verify these claims
Zolghadr co-headed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' educational division in the 1980s. Later, he served as the commander of the IRGC Irregular Warfare Headquarters. Zolghadr also served as the deputy commander of the IRGC.
In 2007, Zolghadr was appointed the deputy chief of general staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Basij-related affairs.
Zolghadr was appointed deputy chief of the Judiciary for strategic affairs on 14 May 2012, having previously served as the Chief Justice Sadeq Larijani's advisor since 2010.
Zolghadr has also authored Qesse-ye Ghorbat-e Gharbi or the Tale of Western Estrangement, published in 1381 (2002–2003) in Iran by Dowrye Aliye Jang. The work, written in Persian, is a short volume that engages with themes related to Western society and culture, framed through a critical and ideological lens.
Who was Ali Larijani
On 18 March, Iran has confirmed the death of Ali Larijani, the Islamic Republic’s national security chief. Larijani was a key figure in its wartime leadership.
The confirmation of his death from Iran came hours after Israel announced earlier that it had killed him in an overnight airstrike. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which Larijani helmed, acknowledged his death in a statement, according to Bloomberg, quoting from semi-official Tasnim news agency. The statement said he was killed alongside his son, Morteza.
Larijani, 67, was killed while visiting his daughter in the eastern outskirts of Pardis district, a Tehran suburb, Reuters reported, citing Fars news agency.
What's up at the war front?
The conflict in West Asia has entered its fourth week, disrupting trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions escalated following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on 28 February.
In retaliation, Iran targeted Israeli and US assets across several Gulf countries, causing further disruptions to the waterway and impacting international energy markets as well as global economic stability.
The hostilities continued on 24 March, even as US President Donald Trump signalled an end to the war. On 23 March, Trump said talks were on with Iran. However, Iranian missiles and drones continued to pound Tel Aviv and Gulf nations on 23 March.
(With agency inputs)
- The appointment of Zolghadr signifies a continuity in Iran's hardline security approach.
- Zolghadr's extensive military background positions him as a strong figure in shaping Iran's defense and nuclear policies.
- The ongoing conflict in the region and the assassination of Larijani highlight the volatile security environment in Iran.
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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