Ali Larijani (left) at an event with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2009

Ali Larijani, born in 1957 in Najaf, Iraq, hails from a distinguished family closely tied to the founding of Iran’s Islamic Republic. His lineage, with deep roots in the Shia clerical community, has wielded significant influence in Iranian politics over the years.

Throughout the years, some family members faced accusations of corruption, which they have consistently denied.

Larijani, a seasoned member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq conflict, transitioned to a decade-long leadership role at state broadcaster IRIB starting in 1994. He then served as the parliamentary speaker from 2008 until 2020.

In 1996, he was chosen as Ayatollah Khamenei’s envoy to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). He subsequently took on the role of SNSC secretary and chief nuclear negotiator, engaging in discussions with the UK, France, Germany, and Russia between 2005 and 2007.

Larijani entered the 2005 presidential race but was defeated by the populist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with whom he later clashed over nuclear policy. His bids for the presidency in 2021 and 2024 were both rejected.

‘Larijani is a true insider, a canny operator, familiar with how the system operates,’ Ali Vaez, the International Crisis Group’s project director for Iran, said before the Middle East war began.