The Sazandegi newspaper on Saturday, citing an informed source, said that President Masoud Pezeshkian has opposed the resignation of Mohammad-Baqer Zulqadar, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

In recent days, some media outlets had reported the departure of Zulqadar and the appointment of Mohsen Rezai as the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

The newspaper, which is the media organ of the Executives of Construction Party, in its report quoted an informed source as saying that the news of the resignation of the secretary of the council “is not true,” and that Pezeshkian told him to continue his work with “strength and power.”

However, Sazandegi confirmed that Zulqadar had previously submitted his resignation “but this resignation faced Masoud Pezeshkian’s opposition, and as a result he remained in his position.”

Mohammad-Baqer Zulqadar was appointed Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council after the killing of Ali Larijani last Esfand, amid the U.S. and Israeli attacks.

In addition to some media outlets, Mohammad-Baqer Kharazi, a hardline cleric close to Ali Khamenei’s office, also announced in a speech last week the news of Zulqadar’s resignation and his replacement by Mohsen Rezai.