{"id":307792,"date":"2023-05-26T11:06:35","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T10:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=307792"},"modified":"2023-05-26T11:06:35","modified_gmt":"2023-05-26T10:06:35","slug":"iran-why-was-snsc-chief-ali-shamkhani-replaced-with-ali-akbar-ahmadian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/terrorism-a-fundamentalism\/iran-why-was-snsc-chief-ali-shamkhani-replaced-with-ali-akbar-ahmadian\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran: Why Was SNSC Chief Ali Shamkhani Replaced With Ali Akbar Ahmadian?\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ali\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On Monday, it was officially announced that Ali Shamkhani<\/a>, The Secretary of the Iranian regime\u2019s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), has been replaced by Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a top Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander. Who is Shamkhani, why was he removed from the highest security position in Iran, and who is Ahmadian?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There have been many speculations about Shamkhani\u2019s dismissal and how and when it happened. For months, there have been rumors that Shamkhani will be booted from the regime\u2019s NSC, causing much stir in the regime.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The situation reached its peak last week when Shamkhani posted a poem on his Twitter account, tacitly speaking about \u201cBeing told to leave and left.\u201d A few hours later, the state-run Nour News website, affiliated with Iran\u2019s NSC, announced that Shamkhani would soon leave his position. In less than 24 hours, it was officially announced that Ahmadian would replace him.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The clerical regime\u2019s Supreme National Security Council oversees the regime\u2019s most pivotal issues, from foreign policy to domestic unrest, and it only reports to supreme leader Ali Khamenei. <\/span>The question is that amid a nationwide uprising and Tehran\u2019s growing international isolation, why would Khamenei dismiss Shamkhani?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some attribute Shamkhani\u2019s dismissal to \u201csecurity breaches.\u201d In January, the regime hanged Alireza Akbari<\/a>, Shamkhani\u2019s advisor during his tenure as Mohammad Khatami\u2019s Minister of Defense, on charges of espionage. Akbari, an Iranian-British national, was accused of giving valuable intelligence on the regime\u2019s nuclear and military programs to the United Kingdom for over a decade.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although important, this fact cannot lead to Shamkhani\u2019s dismissal, given his powerful position and close ties with Khamenei. This accusation was <\/span>rejected<\/span><\/a> by Ismail Khatib, Ebrahim Raisi\u2019s Minister of Intelligence, who\u00a0 praised Shamkhani\u2019s \u201cspecial efforts in the national security issues.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The most probable and important reason behind Shamkhani\u2019s firing is the regime\u2019s increasing infightings. Khamenei tried to consolidate power in his regime by handpicking members of parliament and appointing Raisi as president. From the first days of Raisi\u2019s presidency, there were rumors about rising tensions between Shamkhani and Raisi.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the <\/span>state-run Etemad newspaper<\/span><\/a> on May 23, \u201cSome believe that there was dissatisfaction about Shamkhani\u2019s actions at the establishment\u2019s top levels.\u201d \u201cIt happened so fast, and the transition of power from Shamkhani to Ahmadian was very odd. It was strangely reported and happened at a perilous time,\u201d the paper adds.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the IRGC-affiliated Fars News agency was hacked a few months ago, a classified document revealed that Khamenei wasn\u2019t happy about Shamkhani\u2019s performance and his \u201cdelay and lack of movement\u201d during the anti-regime protests that began in September.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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#Corruption<\/a> in the Mullahs\u2019 Regime Ruling #Iran<\/a> \u2013 Part 6
Ali Shamkhani is the secretary of the regime\u2019s Supreme National Security Council. He is now a super-corrupt official. He and his ilk are among many symbols of the regime\u2019s \u201csystematic corruption.\u201dhttps:\/\/t.co\/48pkuEUWDx<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 3, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n