Post-war restructuring: Iran revives National Defense Council

Shafaq News – Tehran

On Sunday, Iran reinstated its National Defense Council, a key wartime body first established during the 1980s Iran–Iraq war.

According to state-run IRNA, the Supreme National Security Council approved the decision. Chaired by the president, the Council will lead centralized defense planning and oversee the strengthening of military capabilities. Its members include senior commanders from the armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as representatives of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In a statement, the Council’s secretariat pointed out that the body would review defense strategies and ensure a coordinated military posture in response to “complex and evolving threats” at both regional and international levels.

Earlier, Fars News Agency revealed Ali Larijani, a top advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is likely to be appointed SNSC secretary in the coming days.

The Council had previously operated during the Iran–Iraq war but was later integrated into Iran’s national security structure after constitutional reforms. Local media say its revival aims to “boost decision-making speed and strategic flexibility.”