Veteran politician Ali Larijani, who announced the creation of a temporary council of leaders after the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has once again come to the forefront of the country's agenda. He is presented as one of the most influential figures in the regime's security hierarchy and is currently considered the de facto ruler of Iran.
According to reports, Larijani oversees a wide range of issues, from nuclear negotiations to Tehran's regional relations and the suppression of domestic protests. Shortly after Washington imposed sanctions on him in January for his role in suppressing anti-government protests, Larijani led Iran's efforts towards a nuclear deal with the United States.
Modern.az recalls that Larijani, born in Najaf, Iraq, in 1958, grew up in a prominent clerical family. His father, Ayatollah Hashemi Mirza Amoli, was exiled during the Shah's era. After the 1979 revolution, the family returned to Iran. Larijani earned a doctorate in philosophy, while his brothers held high positions in judicial and diplomatic structures.
During his career, he was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and also headed the state-owned IRIB broadcasting company. Serving as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator from 2005–2007, Larijani staunchly defended Tehran's right to enrich uranium.
The politician, who served as Speaker of Parliament from 2008–2020, also played an active role in the process of the nuclear agreement signed between Iran and six world powers in 2015. The US withdrew from that agreement in 2018, by decision of President Donald Trump.
In 2021, Khamenei appointed Larijani as the person responsible for negotiations on a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement with China. In recent months, his visits to both Oman and Moscow, as well as his pragmatic statements regarding possible talks with the US, have attracted attention. In an interview with Omani television in February, Larijani stated that US concerns about nuclear weapons could be resolved through negotiations. At the same time, he also emphasized that Iran's nuclear program “can never be destroyed.”
Larijani's role has attracted particular attention against the backdrop of protests that began in December 2025 and are considered the most serious challenge to power since 1979. According to the US sanctions decision, he was one of the key figures in suppressing the January protests. After the events, he is reported to have strengthened his ties with security structures and IRGC commanders.
Sources claim that after the January events, Larijani took control of the crisis, effectively limiting the powers of the elected government and sidelining President Masoud Pezeshkian from the process. Thus, he has become the key figure directly managing the country's relations with both its allies and rivals.
As he is not a cleric, Larijani cannot formally be a candidate for the post of supreme leader. However, analysts believe that in the event of Khamenei's death, the continuity of the clerical regime in the country could be called into question, and a more secular, hardline politician like Larijani could seize power. This could result in Iranian politics entering a more militaristic and difficult-to-predict phase.
