Iran has removed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (Iran's top security body) on August 9, less than five months after his March 24, 2026 appointment following Ali Larijani's assassination in March 2026. The change comes as Iran and Oman, with reported U.S. participation, work on interim security arrangements for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz (vital oil and gas chokepoint), a narrow channel that carries a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Iran and Oman have reportedly finalized geographic coordinates for shipping routes and are close to a draft joint statement on traffic management and protocols, but Tehran says any broader reopening of the waterway still depends on the U.S. first "correct its behavior" and fulfill prior commitments. Because the council coordinates Iran's defense, intelligence and foreign policy, the leadership switch adds uncertainty even as the technical groundwork for the talks appears largely complete.