Sunday, August 9, 2026

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Amid speculation about Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr’s resignation as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, on Sunday, 18 Mordad, a message attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, the third leader of the Islamic Republic, was published by the state-run Tasnim News Agency. In it, Mohsen Rezaei was named as the Leader’s “representative” on the “SNSC” (Supreme National Security Council). In the remainder of the written message, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr was “thanked,” with no mention of a resignation. The news comes after unofficial reports had circulated for two days about Zolghadr’s resignation as SNSC secretary and Rezaei’s appointment to replace him. News of Rezaei’s appointment to the SNSC was published by Iran’s official news agencies on Sunday morning and removed from many of them shortly afterward. The latest reports of Zolghadr’s activity as SNSC secretary concern a message published on Saturday that made the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz conditional on the United States accepting six conditions set by the Islamic Republic. The message received extensive coverage in international media and cast uncertainty over efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. @ VahidOOnLine 🔥 Raja News wrote: “The fact that this decree was announced without a date contains signs for those who reflect…” 🔄 Update: Khamenei’s channel says Zolghadr has been appointed political adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Republic: 📝 Dr. Zolghadr appointed political adviser to the Supreme Leader of the Revolution 💬 The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has appointed Dr. Zolghadr as his political adviser. 🔻 The text of the decree by His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei is as follows: ✏️ In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Dear Brother, Dr. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, In view of your valuable experience, I hereby appoint you as my political adviser. I hope that, in carrying out this responsibility and advancing the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, you will be successful and supported under the care of our master, His Eminence Baqiyatallah al-Azam—may God hasten his reappearance. ✍️ Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei 🔄 And finally, Rezaei’s appointment as secretary was issued: Deputy for Communications to the Presidency: Mohsen Rezaei becomes secretary of the Supreme National Security Council 🔥 But the most interesting part of the story is Mohammad Bagher Kharazi. He had already said that Zolghadr would leave and Mohsen Rezaei would take his place. Getting such a specific prediction right doesn’t prove all of Kharazi’s claims; but it’s now harder to say he has no information about the inner workings of power—even if he himself claims that AI made his controversial video clips. @ pourostadv 🔥 Amirhossein Sabeti (the elected representative for the people of Tehran in the Islamic Consultative Assembly) attacks Pezeshkian under the heading “In Principle 2”: Pezeshkian had stood against Mojtaba’s demand (Zolghadr out, Rezaei in). “In Principle 2”: Supreme Leader issues decree appointing Mohsen Rezaei With the revelation of the Supreme Leader’s decree appointing Mohsen Rezaei as his representative on the Supreme National Security Council, another matter has come to light: For a long time, Pezeshkian, as chairman of this council, had been resisting the Leader’s demand (Zolghadr out, Rezaei in). Thanks be to God, almost everything has been made clear to the people, and no one is fooled anymore by the claim that “all matters are coordinated with the Leader.” In fact, people have realized that those who, under the banner of “consensus” and wielding the cudgel of unity, seek to suppress people demanding accountability and blame everything on the Leader in front of the cameras, are in practice acting against his wishes. Mr. Pezeshkian! Following the Leader’s path isn’t about talking. Change course before the people make you change. 📡 @VahidOnline

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Trump to Axios on Iran: “We’re keeping things low-key” Machine translation: President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was prepared to let economic pressure on Iran increase — rather than order a new military strike — even as the country continues to defy the United States. Why it matters: Just a week ago, Trump was on the verge of ordering a return to large-scale combat operations. But in an interview with Axios, he made no new military threats. ▪️ Trump also expressed no anger or frustration over Iran delaying the announcement of an agreement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On Saturday, Iran put forward a new list of demands for allowing ships to pass through the strait. What Trump is saying: In a brief phone call, Trump said, “We’re keeping things low-key.” ▪️ “We’re just sort of, kind of half-negotiating with them. We’re just watching Iran, with its massive inflation and the fact that it has no money.” ▪️ He emphasized that Iran is in “very bad shape” economically and has no money to pay its forces. Trump said the U.S. naval blockade has deepened the Iranian government’s economic crisis. ▪️ At the same time, Trump said that with oil prices falling to just over $75 a barrel, American consumers are feeling less pressure from the war. ▪️ On the back-and-forth with Iran, Trump said: “It’ll work out. It always works out. It’s like a game of chess.” The big picture: An agreement to regulate traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been negotiated among Iran, Oman and the United States, and has been awaiting finalization for several days. ▪️ Under the new agreement, Iran would gain control over some traffic through the strait — something it did not have before the war. ▪️ Qatari and Pakistani mediators were confident the agreement would be announced on Wednesday, but since then its prospects have dimmed. ▪️ U.S. officials also say divisions within the Iranian government are growing. One faction, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, is deeply concerned about economic collapse and believes Iran should reach an agreement with the United States. Another faction, led by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi, rejects any concessions. The current situation: Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, put forward new conditions for reopening the strait on Saturday — on top of those negotiated in the agreement with Oman. In a statement, Zolghadr said that, to reopen the strait, the United States must: ▪️ “Never threaten or insult Iran in any language.” ▪️ “Permanently end the war against Iran and Iran’s allies in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and Iraq.” ▪️ Lift the naval blockade and withdraw its military forces from around Iran. ▪️ He also called for full compensation for war damages, the lifting of all sanctions and the release of all frozen Iranian assets. ▪️ Until a few weeks ago, these demands were preconditions for reaching a nuclear agreement. Iran is now presenting them simply as conditions for reopening the strait. ▪️ A diplomat from one of the mediating countries said Zolghadr’s statement reflected political infighting within the government. Behind the scenes: U.S. officials said Trump was inclined to resume large-scale combat operations against Iran a week ago, but was persuaded to de-escalate for now. ▪️ One of the officials said continued fighting would allow the Iranian government to avoid confronting the consequences of the war, the damage to infrastructure and the deep economic crisis it had caused. ▪️ The U.S. official said that when Iran is not at war, it has to face a bitter reality for which no real solution is available. ▪️ At the same time, the U.S. official said that about 8 million barrels of oil leave the Persian Gulf each night via the southern route through the Strait of Hormuz, in coordination with the U.S. military. The United States intends to try to move more oil out of the region until an agreement is reached. What to watch: Vice President J.D. Vance told Fox News on Saturday: “This is not over. Clearly, we’re not at the beginning of it anymore either. We’re in the middle of the game, and we’re using the full range of tools — diplomatic, economic and military — to make sure we get the best outcome for the American people.” Axios 📡 @VahidOnline

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The official website of the office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic announced on Sunday, 18 Mordad 1405, that Pezeshkian had “met and held talks” with Mojtaba Khamenei as he began his third year as president. Mehr News Agency, IRNA, and other state-affiliated media also republished the report. However, no photos, audio recordings, or video of this meeting have been released either. Pezeshkian had previously said that he met Khamenei after Khamenei was chosen as Supreme Leader, but no audio or visual evidence of that meeting was released either. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Several state-affiliated media outlets reported on Sunday, 18 Mordad, that Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Mojtaba Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, had been appointed as his representative to the Supreme National Security Council. But minutes later, they deleted the report. The Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, citing “reports,” wrote that with this appointment, Mohsen Rezaei and Saeed Jalili would be Mojtaba Khamenei’s two representatives on the Supreme National Security Council. A few minutes later, Tasnim deleted the post from its Telegram channel. The Mehr, ISNA, and Jamaran outlets also reported Rezaei’s appointment, then removed their posts shortly afterward. The report was published and deleted as divisions within the Islamic Republic’s structure have intensified in recent days over the course of talks with the United States, including the nuclear issue and the outlook for the Strait of Hormuz. @VahidOOnLine 🔄 Update: The report was republished six hours after it was deleted. 📡 @VahidOnline

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at Sunday’s cabinet meeting, explicitly rejected Donald Trump’s 15-point “Board of Peace” plan for Gaza, saying: “Israel rejects the 15-point plan. The Israeli military will not withdraw in any way until Hamas is completely disarmed.” Emphasizing the need for Hamas to be genuinely disarmed, he added: “Disarmament means all heavy, medium and light weapons. We are talking about real disarmament, not an imaginary one.” Netanyahu also referred to consultations with the American side, saying: “We are in talks with the Americans. They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some of which are not. Israel’s security is not negotiable, and we are standing firmly by our interests.” The Israeli prime minister concluded by stressing: “As long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established—not in Gaza and not in the West Bank.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Today’s story from government sources about what happened to the eulogist who had harassed a “girl blogger” for six months under the pretext of “encouraging her to wear hijab,” until she agreed to meet him: Hamidreza Rajabzadeh had been missing for about 15 days. But four days ago, a video showing his injured body was posted on an anti-government channel and widely shared on social media. The missing man had met a young female blogger online some time earlier. He had been admonishing her about hijab and wanted her to keep it on her Instagram page and avoid discussing political issues. On the day he disappeared, the blogger had also asked to meet him in person. Detectives’ investigation indicates that the young woman had planned the meeting in advance and lured the well-known man to a secluded neighborhood. After the young eulogist arrived, they offered him poisoned food, first rendering him unconscious, and then killed him with the help of five men. During questioning, the female blogger said: “I met the victim online. He kept warning me about hijab and wanted me not to talk about political issues and so on. I told my boyfriend about this, and he suggested that I lure the young eulogist to a secluded neighborhood on some pretext so he and his friends could kill him.” ... The investigation also found that after the murder, the suspects filmed the crime scene and the desecration of the body, then sent the footage to the hostile Mojahedin network in exchange for money. They thought they could get good money for videos showing a Basij member being killed. At this stage, detectives’ examination showed that the victim had been killed with multiple stab wounds and that, after his death, his body was set on fire in an act of desecration. The suspects have also given investigators details about transporting and burning the body in the deserts around Parand. According to the detainees, one suspect, identified as the main perpetrator, inflicted the principal blows on the victim, after which the others also took part in the crime. However, the case’s main suspect fled after the murder, and police efforts to arrest him are ongoing. @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Iranian government officials announced progress in Iran-Oman talks on determining shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, 17 Mordad, while also setting new and sweeping conditions for reopening the waterway. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the United States, as he put it, “corrects its behavior.” He stressed that the council would not back down from this position “either in war or in negotiations.” He laid out six conditions for reopening the strait. They include ending the war and U.S. attacks on Iran and the Islamic Republic’s allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq; lifting the naval blockade; withdrawing U.S. military forces from around Iran; paying full compensation for war damages; lifting sanctions; and unfreezing Iran’s blocked assets. Zolghadr also called for an end to U.S. threats against Iran. Hours earlier, a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had said that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was “not related at all” to Iran-Oman talks and would happen only if the United States fully accepted “Iran’s conditions.” @VahidHeadline How do Iran’s Supreme National Security Council conditions differ from the memorandum of understanding with the United States? The publication of Iran’s six conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz has made the prospect of reopening it in the short term even more uncertain. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said the council would “never back down,” either in war or in negotiations. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has taken a more explicit tone than the memorandum of understanding with the United States. A quick comparison shows that, this time, Iran has explicitly demanded full compensation for the damage caused by “both wars”—something not included in the text of the memorandum. U.S. acceptance is almost impossible, since it would cast the country as the “aggressor” and, in political terms, would amount to an admission of “defeat.” Compensation would also carry legal consequences, including liability as the party that started the war and for other internationally unlawful actions. This comes as Donald Trump had said he would use Iran’s frozen funds to cover the damage caused by Iranian attacks. In practice, that U.S. position rejects Iran’s sixth condition: the release of all its assets. Iran’s second condition also resembles the first clause of the memorandum, but with a fundamental difference. The two countries’ memorandum referred only to a permanent end to hostilities in Iran and Lebanon. This time, however, the Islamic Republic is also demanding a permanent end to the war in “Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq.” The six conditions appear to be Iran’s position, rather than a subject for negotiation. Previously, although Iranian officials had said that an agreement with Oman did not mean the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, the president and Foreign Ministry officials had to some extent made this conditional on the United States returning to the memorandum and pledging not to violate it. Now, the Supreme National Security Council appears to have raised its demands. Even if this is intended to pressure the United States and gain leverage in negotiations, it carries risks, and it is unclear how the United States will respond. @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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The death sentence of 28-year-old Rasoul Rezaei, a resident of Fariman and one of those arrested during the Dey 1404 protests, has been upheld by the Supreme Court. He had previously been sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court on the charge of “waging war against God.” On Sunday, 18 Mordad 1405, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that Rasoul Rezaei, who is currently held at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, is at risk of execution following the Supreme Court’s confirmation of his sentence. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline