A Revolutionary Guard Commander Replaces Shamkhani as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic

Official media in Iran reported the appointment of Ali Akbar Ahmadian as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic. According to Iranian news agencies, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a commander of the Revolutionary Guard, was appointed to the Supreme National Security Council by Ali Khamenei and selected as the secretary of this body by Ebrahim Raisi. Hours after Khamenei described the interpretation of 'some inside' regarding the 'heroic flexibility' he had proposed years ago as 'wrong', unofficial news about the 'resignation' of Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, emerged. Ali Shamkhani implicitly announced the end of his work in the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council in a tweet, a news that was confirmed by 'Noor News', a media outlet close to the secretariat of this council. Shamkhani was appointed as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council ten years ago after Hassan Rouhani came to power as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with Rouhani's proposal and Khamenei's approval. Now, after ten years and precisely in the months when Shamkhani played a more prominent role in the foreign policy relations of the Islamic Republic in the last months of the year 1401, unofficial news indicates his 'resignation'. In recent months, Shamkhani had undertaken significant diplomatic trips and meetings for the Islamic Republic, including a visit to Iraq to sign a security agreement. In the final months of the year 1401, Shamkhani's presence at the head of negotiating teams traveling to China and the region for agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iraq raised speculation. Some believed that the 'ineffectiveness' of the Foreign Ministry under Ebrahim Raisi had led to the resolution of some 'strategic' issues, including the tense relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, being entrusted to the Supreme National Security Council. Although Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Foreign Minister of Raisi's government, denied any disagreements and claimed that 'everything is coordinated'. He had also been active behind the scenes in negotiations for the revival of the JCPOA alongside Abbas Araghchi. Although Khamenei's implicit criticism of the foreign policy approach of the previous Islamic Republic government and the use of the term 'begging diplomacy' seems to be directed more towards Hassan Rouhani and Javad Zarif, Shamkhani's ten-year presence in such an important position as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council also positions him, in the eyes of many, including opponents and critics of the previous government, as a 'co-conspirator' in the approaches criticized by Khamenei. Ali Akbar Ahmadian is an experienced commander of the Revolutionary Guard who has been appointed to this position. He was previously a 'real member' of the Expediency Discernment Council and has been the head of the Strategic Center of the Revolutionary Guards since 2007. Ahmadian, 62 years old and born in Shahrebabak, served as the commander of the Navy of the Revolutionary Guards from 1997 to 2000 and was the head of the General Staff of the Revolutionary Guards from 2000 to 2007. Ahmadian has been under U.S. Treasury and EU sanctions since 2007. Ali Shamkhani was also a commander of the Revolutionary Guards who had served as the commander of the Navy of the Revolutionary Guards and as Minister of Defense during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami. According to Article 176 of the Islamic Republic's Constitution, the Supreme National Security Council, under the supervision of the leader, was established to determine the country's defense and security policies within the framework of the general policies set by the leader of the Islamic Republic, coordinate political and intelligence activities, and utilize the country's resources to confront 'internal and external threats'. The members of this council include the heads of the three branches of government, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, the head of the planning and budget office, two representatives selected by the leader of the Islamic Republic, and the ministers of foreign affairs, interior, and intelligence, as well as the relevant minister and the highest-ranking military and Revolutionary Guard officials as needed. The head of the Supreme National Security Council is legally the President, but 'in an unwritten rule, the leader of the Islamic Republic appoints the secretary of the council as one of his two representatives to 'have sufficient power to advance affairs'. Before Ali Shamkhani, Hassan Rouhani, Ali Larijani, and Saeed Jalili served as the Secretaries of the Supreme National Security Council.