Iran names Ali Shamkhani head of Defense Council: What to know
Ali Shamkhani, a longtime security official, recently dismissed the idea of sending enriched uranium abroad and expressed a degree of hope about the upcoming negotiations with the US.
Senior Iranian security official Ali Shamkhani has been appointed head of the Islamic Republic’s Defense Council, state media reported on Thursday, as the country gears up for the next round of talks with the United States.
President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a decree naming Shamkhani as the council’s secretary, the semiofficial Mehr News Agency reported.
The Defense Council was established in August 2025 following the 12-day war with Israel the previous June. Its mandate includes the “centralized examination and development of defense strategies and plans, alongside enhancing the combat capabilities of Iran's Armed Forces,” as well as the “command” of Iran in the event of war, according to Mehr.
Iranian state media reported at the time of the council’s establishment that it would be led by Pezeshkian. It was not immediately clear whether Pezeshkian will still preside over the council or if it will be managed by Shamkhani, who has not commented on the news.
