Iran has appointed veteran politician Ali Larijani, considered a moderate on foreign policy, to lead the Islamic republic's top security body, state media said Tuesday.

"Ali Larijani was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in a decree by President Masoud Pezeshkian," official news agency IRNA reported.

Larijani, 68, who is seen as a moderate conservative in Iran, replaces Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a Revolutionary Guards general who was named to the position in May 2023.

His appointment comes after a 12-day war in June, launched by Israel and later joined by the United States, during which key Iranian nuclear and military sites were hit.

The security council is responsible for laying out Iran's defence and security strategy, but its decisions must be approved by the c

See Full Page