Iran is preparing to establish a Defence Council amid heightened security concerns following the fragile ceasefire that ended a 12-day war with Israel, according to a report by Tasnim News Agency.

The decision is reportedly based on Article 176 of the Iranian Constitution, which empowers the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to form subsidiary bodies such as a Defence Council.

Tasnim reported that the framework of the Defence Council was approved several days ago under the same article. Under this structure, the President will serve as its head, and a senior figure from the armed forces will likely be appointed as Secretary. The Council is expected to include other high-ranking military officials and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces to ensure swift decision-making and bolster Iran’s defence capabilities.

According to Tasnim, it appears that the Council’s formation aims to strengthen national defence comprehensively, accelerate strategic decision-making, and integrate senior military leadership into defence planning.

Expected members of the Council include heads of the executive, judiciary, and legislative branches, two representatives of the Supreme Leader in the SNSC, the Minister of Intelligence, senior commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Army, and the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

Separately, Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, had also confirmed the Council’s formation, describing its role as executing strategic missions in defence policy.

Longtime government official and former parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, is being considered for appointment as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, replacing Ali Akbar Ahmadian, who may take on a portfolio of special strategic cases.

On August 3, Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad stated that the Council’s formation is contingent upon the approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that Parliament will not play a role in the process.

Just days earlier, Ali Shamkhani, adviser to the Supreme Leader who survived an Israeli strike during the war, hinted at imminent changes within Iran’s top security institutions.

These developments come in the aftermath of the recent conflict with Israel, during which several senior Iranian commanders were killed. Although hostilities ended with a US-brokered ceasefire, the truce remains tenuous, and the risk of renewed confrontation persists.