Mehrad Vaisi, senior analyst at Iran International, said: “Who are the winners and losers in the new appointments in the Islamic Republic, and what does the new alignment of power tell us? The appointment of Mohsen Rezai as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Hossein Taeb as commander of the Basij carries two important messages; one to the outside, about negotiations, war, and confrontation with the United States, and the other to the inside, about the regime’s most important concern: the danger of the people of Iran rising up again. While there is still doubt about whether Mojtaba Khamenei is alive or dead and the extent of his health, entrusting the Basij to Hossein Taeb, one of Mojtaba’s closest associates, sends a clear message: the regime’s main concern is the streets.”