In the early 1980s, as Iran’s nascent Islamic regime was battling for survival in a war with Iraq, Mohsen Rezaei made his name on the front lines as a young and hawkish commander of the newly formed Revolutionary Guards.
While other leaders pushed for a settlement, Rezaei argued that Iran should fight on — even after it recaptured territory seized by the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Tehran and Baghdad finally agreed a ceasefire in 1988, both countries worn down by the devastating conflict.
Nearly four decades later, Rezaei is once again poised to fight an existential battle for the Islamic republic. Appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the 71-year-old hardliner is now in effect the republic’s top security official — with a critical voice in determining the trajectory of war with the US.