Zolghadr, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, replaces Ali Larijani, who was reportedly killed in a recent airstrike. He has previously served as the secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council.

Larijani’s death marks a significant shift in Iran’s top leadership at a time of heightened regional tensions.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is reportedly pursuing a renewed diplomatic initiative with Iran in an effort to ease tensions in West Asia. According to officials cited by Reuters, Washington is keen to reopen negotiations with Tehran.

However, senior Israeli officials have expressed strong scepticism about the prospects of such talks. Speaking anonymously, three officials said any new negotiations would likely centre on curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and limiting its ballistic missile programme—longstanding points of contention between the two sides.

They added that Iran’s firm stance on these issues could make a breakthrough unlikely, despite renewed diplomatic outreach from the United States.

Diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran reportedly collapsed on February 28, coinciding with the launch of a joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Since then, the region has entered one of its most intense phases of conflict in recent years.