Iranian media announced the resignation of Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran. The "Noor News" agency, affiliated with the council, confirmed the news of Shamkhani's resignation, noting that he had held this position for the past ten years.
Amid rumors about Shamkhani's intention to resign, he shared a verse of poetry indicating that his resignation had become certain after ten years of responsibility.
According to the "Tasnim" agency, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi appointed Ali Akbar Ahmadian as the new head of the council, replacing Shamkhani. Recently, Shamkhani led negotiations with Saudi Arabia.
In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached an agreement, brokered by China, ending more than seven years of diplomatic estrangement. The agreement included a plan to reopen embassies between the two countries within two months, as stated in a joint announcement with their mediator, China.
Reuters reported that an Iranian source excluded any significant impact of the change in leadership on the council’s policies, suggesting that Shamkhani might be considered for a "more important position." However, the source did not provide details. Changes in senior positions are closely monitored as parliamentary elections approach in February, with analysts expecting low voter turnout amid rising political opposition and increasing economic difficulties.
Later, state television reported that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Shamkhani as his political advisor. Reports indicated that Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a commander within the Revolutionary Guard, was appointed as Shamkhani's successor. Ahmadian previously served as the head of the Revolutionary Guard's joint staff in the first decade of the 2000s and later headed the strategic center of the Guard.
Shamkhani had been an active political figure in the country for decades and signed a Beijing-mediated agreement with Saudi Arabia in April to resolve years of political disputes between the two countries. He became the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in 2013 and served as Minister of Defense under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, who held office for two terms from 1997 to 2005.
Shamkhani was born in 1955 in the oil-rich Khuzestan province to a family belonging to the Arab minority in Iran and joined the Revolutionary Guard shortly after its formation in 1979, serving as its deputy commander from 1981 to 1988.
