Overview

• Larijani took over as SNSC secretary on August 6, replacing Ali Akbar Ahmadian, who held the post since 2023.
• He is a longtime adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and previously served as SNSC secretary from 2005 to 2007 and speaker of parliament from 2008 to 2020.
• The Defense Council, first established during the Iran-Iraq war under Article 176, was reactivated earlier this week to oversee strategic military planning and unify command across Iran’s armed forces.
• These changes form part of a broader security overhaul following Iran’s 12-day aerial confrontation with Israel in June, its most serious crisis since the 1980s.
• Larijani’s past hardline rhetoric toward Israel and warnings about nuclear development if Iran is attacked signal a tougher regional posture.