Iranian President Masoud Bezhkishan appointed veteran politician Ali Larijani as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council on Tuesday, according to the official IRNA news agency.

This council is a high-level strategic body tasked with formulating the country’s defense and security policies, and its decisions require the approval of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The appointment comes at a sensitive time for the government, both internally and regionally, with expectations of a prominent role for Larijani in reshaping the council’s directions.