Toplines

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed his former senior military adviser, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, as the new Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) secretary on August 9.[1] The SNSC is Iran’s highest national security and foreign policy decision-making body.[2] Mojtaba appointed previous SNSC Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the supreme leader’s political adviser shortly after, which is effectively a demotion.[3] Rezaei is a long-term senior regime insider who has held multiple senior positions in the regime, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander and Expediency Discernment Council secretary.[4] Rezaei is a hardliner likely aligned with the anti-concessions faction, which appears willing to negotiate with the United States to secure Iran’s maximalist aims, including control of the Strait of Hormuz and US troop withdrawal from the region, but is unwilling to present any Iranian concessions.[5] Rezaei told regime media on August 3 that Iran should not abandon its control over the strait and that Iran’s drone and missile attacks on US regional bases have compelled US commanders, forces, and equipment further out of the region, which suggests that he subscribes to the belief that Iranian military action has accomplished key Iranian objectives and that trading Iran’s accomplishments as concessions is therefore unwise.[6]

The Iranian regime has continued to threaten regional states against assisting US efforts to undermine Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz while simultaneously refusing to negotiate with the United States. Iranian Parliament Deputy Speaker Hamid Babai stated on August 9 that Iran will attack “any country that wants to assist the United States” in its efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the strait.[7] Iran and its partners in the region have repeatedly attacked regional states to deter them from assisting US efforts in the strait.[8] Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated on August 9 that Iran will not engage in talks with the United States while the United States is in violation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in June and that talks between Iran and Oman are in the “final stages” but will not reopen the strait.[9]

The Houthis conducted a drone attack that struck a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jizan, Saudi Arabia, on August 8.[10] The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed on August 8 that firefighters extinguished a fire at an Aramco refinery facility in Jizan.[11] Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed on August 9 that the Houthis targeted the Aramco refinery in Jizan with a drone.[12] The Houthi attack comes after Saudi Arabia signed a defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan on August 7 in response to shared regional threats, including threats from Iran and Iranian partners like the Houthis.[13] Senior Houthi officials have said they will sustain the naval blockade and attacks on Saudi and Saudi-affiliated targets until Saudi Arabia lifts its “blockade” on shipping and aid to Houthi-controlled Yemen.[14]