Supreme National Security Council
{{Short description|Iranian governmental body (1989–present)}}
{{Infobox Legislature
| background_color =
| text_color =
| name = Supreme National Security Council
| native_name = {{lang|fa|{{noitalic|شورای عالی امنیت ملی}}}}
| coa_pic =
| session_room =
| house_type =
| leader1_type = Chairman
| leader1 = President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian
| election1 = 28 July 2024
| leader2_type = Secretary
| leader2 = Ali Akbar Ahmadian
| election2 = 22 May 2023
| members = 23
| political_groups1 =
| meeting_place = Tehran, Iran
| website =
}}
{{Politics of Iran}}
Supreme National Security Council (SNSC; {{langx|fa|شورای عالی امنیت ملی}} Showrāye Āliye Amniyate Mellī also Supreme Council for National Security) is the national security council of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The current secretary of the Supreme National Security Council is Ali Akbar Ahmadian. He was appointed to position of secretary by President Ebrahim Raisi on 22 May 2023.
The council was formed for the protection and support of national interests and Islamic revolution and territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the country. This institution was founded during the 1989 revision of the constitution.[http://www.iranonline.com/iran/iran-info/Government/Supreme-National-Security-Council.html Islamic Republic of Iran, The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC)]
The responsibilities of the council are defined by the constitution as:
- Determining the defense and national security policies of the country within the framework of general policies determined by the Leader.
- Coordination of political activities, intelligence, social, cultural and economic fields relating to general policies of defense and national security.
- Exploitation of material and intellectual resources of the country for facing the internal and external threats.
Composition
This National Security Council is mandated by Article 176 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran to be presided over by the president of the country.§ 1 of Article 176 The Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei selects the secretary of the Supreme council.[http://isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-569141 ISNA - 08-15-2005 - 84/5/24 - سرويس: / سياسي / شماره خبر: 569141] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024003006/http://isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-569141 |date=2007-10-24 }} The decisions of the Council are effective after the confirmation by the Supreme Leader.§ 5 of Article 176 Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) are at the top of the foreign policy decisions process.
Nuclear policy
Supreme National Security Council formulates the country's nuclear policy. The nuclear policies formulated by the council would become effective if they are confirmed by the Supreme Leader.Article 176 The secretary of the Supreme council was the chief nuclear negotiator of Iran until 5 September 2013 when responsibility for nuclear talks was assigned to the ministry of foreign affairs.{{cite news|title=Iran's Rouhani shifts responsibility for nuclear talks|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23972772|access-date=5 September 2013|newspaper=BBC|date=5 September 2013}}
List of secretaries
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border-collapse: collapse" |
| rowspan=2|№
!colspan=2|Secretary !colspan=2|Tenure !rowspan=2|Political position !rowspan=2|Appointed by !rowspan=2|Supreme Leader |
|---|
| Name
!Picture !Took office !Left office |
| rowspan=2|1
|rowspan=2|Hassan Rouhani |rowspan=2|80px |rowspan=2|12 October 1989{{cite journal |title=Chronology July 16, 1989–October 15, 1989 |journal=Middle East Journal |date=Winter 1990 |volume=44 |issue=1 |page=114 |jstor=4328058}} |rowspan=2|15 August 2005 |rowspan=2|Right wing |rowspan=8|Ali Khamenei |
| Mohammad Khatami |
| 2
|80px |15 August 2005 |20 October 2007 |rowspan=2|Principlist |rowspan=2|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
| 3
|80px |20 October 2007 |10 September 2013 |
| rowspan=2|4
|rowspan=2|Ali Shamkhani |rowspan=2|80px |rowspan=2|10 September 2013 |rowspan=2|22 May 2023 |rowspan=2|Reformist |
| Ebrahim Raisi |
| rowspan=2|5
|rowspan=2|Ali Akbar Ahmadian |rowspan=2|80px |rowspan=2|22 May 2023 |rowspan=2| |rowspan=2|Principlist |
| Masoud Pezeshkian |
Members
As of 2025, following members are:[http://www.yale.edu/yira/scsy/committees/cabinets/IRC.pdf Iranian Supreme National Security Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928123931/http://www.yale.edu/yira/scsy/committees/cabinets/IRC.pdf |date=2007-09-28 }}{{Cite web |title=article 176 of constitution |url=https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/print_version/133640 |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=Website of Iranian parliament}}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" | ||||
| # | Appointer | Ex officio member | Current officeholder | Position in the Supreme Council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Popular election | President | Masoud Pezeshkian | Chairman |
| 2 | Indirect election | Speaker of the Parliament | Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | rowspan="2"|Member |
| 3 | rowspan="6"|Supreme Leader | Chief Justice | Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i | |
| 4 | Ali Akbar Ahmadian | Secretary{{Efn|Appointed in consultation with the President}} | ||
| 5 | Saeed Jalili | rowspan="8"|Member | ||
| 6 | Chief of the General Staff | MG Abdolrahim Mousavi | ||
| 7 | Chief of the Army | MG Amir Hatami | ||
| 8 | Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps | MG Mohammad Pakpour | ||
| 9 | rowspan="5"|President | Minister of Foreign Affairs | Abbas Araghchi | |
| 10 | Minister of the Interior | BG Eskandar Momeni | ||
| 11 | Minister of Intelligence | Esmaeil Khatib | ||
| 12 | Head of Plan and Budget Organization | Hamid Pourmohammadi | ||
| 13 | Minister related with the Subject of Agenda of the Council | Other Cabinet Ministers | Temporary member |
== See also ==
References and notes
{{Notelist}}
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- Wege, Carl Anthony. "Iranian intelligence organizations." International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence 10.3 (1997): 287-298.
- Wege, Carl Anthony. "Iranian Counterintelligence." International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence 32.2 (2019): 272-294.
External links
{{Portal|Iran}}
- [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/sdc.htm Supreme Defense Council (SDC)]
- [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/world/middleeast/18cnd-iran.html?ex=1170046800&en=ca77554c08df3f97&ei=5070 Iran’s President Criticized Over Nuclear Issue]
{{Coord|35.7840|N|51.5308|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}
Category:Government agencies of Iran