Ali Larijani
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military person Ali Ardashir LarijaniTemplate:Efn (born 3 June 1958)Template:Citation needed is an Iranian politician and former military officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who serves as Secretary of Supreme National Security Council since 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2020.<ref>Orla Ryan, "Ahmadinejad rival elected as Iranian speaker", The Guardian, 28 May 2008]</ref> He has been a member of the Expediency Discernment Council since 2020, having previously served from 1997 to 2008.
Larijani filed for candidacy in the 2024 presidential election, but was ultimately disqualified. He previously ran in 2005, but finished in 6th place, and was also disqualified from running in 2021.
Larijani was the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 15 August 2005 to 20 October 2007, appointed to the position by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,<ref name="isna-ir">Template:Cite news</ref> replacing Hassan Rouhani. Acceptance of Larijani's resignation from the secretary position was announced on 20 October 2007 by Gholam-Hossein Elham, the Iranian government's spokesman, mentioning that President Ahmadinejad turned down his previous resignations.<ref name=fnews>Template:Cite news</ref>
Larijani was one of the two representatives of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ali Khamenei to the council, the other being Hassan Rouhani.<ref name=fw9>Template:Cite web</ref> In his post as secretary, he effectively functioned as the top negotiator on issues of national security, including Iran's nuclear program. He is also currently a member of Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.
Early life
Ali Larijani was born in Najaf, Iraq to Iranian Persian parents. He hails from a religious Shia gentry family based in Amol in the province of Mazandaran.<ref name=sahimi2089/> His father was a leading cleric, Ayatollah Mirza Hashem Amoli.<ref name=fw9/> His parents moved to Najaf in 1931 due to pressure of the ruler Reza Shah, but returned to Iran in 1961.<ref name=sahimi2089/>
Education
Larijani is a graduate of Qom seminary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and mathematics from Aryamehr University of Technology and holds a master's degree and PhD in Western philosophy from the University of Tehran.<ref name=sahimi2089/> Initially, he wanted to continue his graduate studies in computer science, but changed his subject after consultation with Morteza Motahhari. Larijani has published books on Immanuel Kant, Saul Kripke, and David Lewis. Larijani is a faculty member of the School of Literature and Humanities at the University of Tehran.<ref>Profile of Ali Larijani</ref>
Career
Larijani is a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards.<ref name=fw9/> Larijani served as the deputy minister of labor and social affairs. Then it was appointed deputy minister of information and communications technology.<ref name="Al Jazeera">Template:Cite web</ref> In March 1994, he was appointed head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, replacing Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani in the post.<ref name=pet1apr>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=pbs14mar>Template:Cite news</ref> He was in office until 21 July 2004 and was succeeded by Ezzatollah Zarghami after serving ten years in the post. He became security adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in August 2004.
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Larijani was a presidential candidate for the 2005 presidential elections, where he ranked sixth, winning 5.94% of the votes. He was considered the most important presidential candidate of the conservative alliance for the 2005 presidential elections. He was supported by the Islamic Society of Engineers (ISE), among other conservative groups. He had been announced as the final choice of the conservative Council for Coordination of the Forces of the Revolution, made from representatives of some influential conservative parties and organizations. However, he proved to be the least popular of the three conservative candidates, the others being Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (second rank in the first round, winner in the second round) and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (fourth rank in the first round).
In 2005, Larijani was appointed the Supreme National Security Council secretary. This body helps draw up nuclear and other policies by Khamenei.<ref name=masoud>Template:Cite journal</ref> He replaced Hassan Rouhani in the post.<ref name=wposch7>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Dead link</ref> As a chief nuclear negotiator, Iranian analysts said he differed with the president over how to pursue negotiations with his European counterparts and say he backed a more pragmatic approach.
As Iran's top nuclear envoy, Larijani said on 25 April 2007 that he expected "new ideas" from senior EU official Javier Solana at talks on resolving the deadlock between Tehran's refusal to freeze its nuclear programme and United Nations Security Council demands that it do so.<ref name="fox-2007-04-25">Template:Cite news</ref>
In the March 2008 parliamentary election, Larijani won a seat from Qom. He said he was willing to work with Ahmadinejad; according to Larijani, he did not disagree with Ahmadinejad on ideological issues and had only "differences in style". In May 2008, Larijani became speaker of the parliament. He was reelected in the next year as chairman of the parliament. He was re-elected in 2012 elections as the Qom district's high-receiving candidate. He was also elected for another term as chairman of the parliament on 5 June 2012 and was sworn in on 11 June 2012.
Larijani implied on 21 June 2009 that authorities took the side of one candidate without clarifying which candidate.<ref>CNN report: "Although the Guardian Council is made up of religious individuals, I wish certain members would not side with a certain presidential candidate," Larijani told the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) without naming whom he meant.</ref> Just after the election, Larijani reportedly congratulated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi as he, having "access to firsthand and classified information and news", believed Mousavi had won the election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, on 22 October 2012, during a QA meeting with the students of Iran University of Science and Technology, Larijani denied the allegations that he had congratulated Mousavi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was elected as speaker in the new Majlis in May 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In May 2021, Larijani declared his bid for the presidency in the 2021 Iranian presidential election. However, the vetting Guardian Council, in a decision that astounded both the conservatives and reformists, disqualified him from running. Considering Larijani's long career as an Islamic Republic insider who has been part of the top echelons of power since the 1979 revolution, his disqualification was a possibility even his staunch detractors couldn't envision. The Guardian Council did not announce the reason for barring him.
In May 2024, Larijani submitted his application for his candidacy for the president in the 2024 Iranian presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In March 2025, US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Iran seeking to reopen nuclear weapons negotiations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later said, "Some bullying governments insist on negotiations not to resolve issues but to impose their own expectations," which was seen as in response to the letter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following this, in late March 2025, Larijani said Iran would have no choice but to develop nuclear weapons if attacked by the United States, Israel or its allies.<ref name="fr24-nukes-01apr25">Template:Cite news</ref>
On 13 June 2025 the Iran–Israel war broke out with attacks on several nuclear facilities.<ref name="ISWJune17">Template:Cite web</ref> On June 22, the United States Air Force and Navy attacked the Natanz Nuclear Facility, Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology/Research Center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 5 August 2025, Larijani was appointed by president Masoud Pezeshkian to become secretary of the Supreme National Security Council for a second time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Affiliation
Larijani was considered to maintain Motalefeh membership and views while in Hashemi Rafsanjani cabinet (1992–1994).<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Iranian scholar Mehdi Moslem in his 2002 book named Factional Politics in Post-Khomeini Iran, suggests that Larijani had been a member of Motalefeh and part of the ‘traditional right’.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Payam Mohseni, a fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, classifies Larijani as a lead figure in the ‘theocratic right’ camp, whose other prominent members are Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi and Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Larijani was one of the leaders of the Principlists Pervasive Coalition in 2008 parliamentary elections,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> and a United Front of Principlists leader.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> During Iranian 2016 parliamentary election Larijani was the leader of the Followers of Wilayat faction,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> although he was backed by the reformist List of Hope and said he is running as an independent candidate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He is also described as a center-right politician who has "slowly distanced himself from the Principlist camp"<ref name="ND">Template:Cite web</ref> and a "conservative-turned-moderate".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Larijani is known to have close associates, including the interior minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Behrouz Nemati, spokesman for the parliament's presiding board,<ref name="ND"/> and Kazem Jalali, head of the parliament's research center.<ref name="ND"/>
Electoral history
| Year | Election | Votes | % | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | President | 1,713,810 | 5.83 | 6th | Lost |
| 2008 | Parliament | 239,436 | 73.01 | 1st | Won |
| 2012 | Parliament | Template:Increase 270,382 | Template:Decrease 65.17 | 1st | Won |
| 2016 | Parliament | Template:Decrease 191,329 | Template:Decrease 40.31 | 2nd | Won |
| 2021 | President | colspan="3" Template:N/a | Template:Terminated | ||
| 2024 | President | colspan="3" Template:N/a | Template:Terminated |
Public image
According to a poll conducted in March 2016 by Information and Public Opinion Solutions LLC (iPOS) among Iranian citizens, Larijani has 45% approval and 34% disapproval ratings and thus a +11% net popularity, while 11% of voters do not recognize the name.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Larijani is a brother of Sadiq Larijani (President of the Judicature), Mohammad-Javad Larijani, Bagher Larijani (Faculty Member of Tehran University of Medical Sciences), and Fazel Larijani (Iran's former cultural attachée in Ottawa).<ref name=sahimi2089>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Erdbrink>Template:Cite news</ref> Larijani is also a cousin of Ahmad Tavakkoli (Larijani's and Tavakkoli's mothers are sisters).<ref name=sahimi2089/> Larijani is the son-in-law of Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari,<ref name=sahimi2089/><ref name=rabi11>Template:Cite journal</ref> His daughter, Fatemeh Ardashir Larijani, studies at the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ali Ardeshir Larijani hails from Sassanian gentry, and is one of the few Iranian politicians to use the title Ardeshir.
On 2 April 2020, Larijani tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) and was placed in quarantine.<ref>Iran’s Parliament Speaker Larijani Quarantined With Coronavirus</ref>
Notes
References
Further reading
- Fischbach, Michael B. ed. Biographical encyclopedia of the modern Middle East and North Africa (Gale, 2 vol, 2008) 2: 469–470.
External links
Template:Navboxes Template:Ministers of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran Template:Chairmen of the Parliament of Iran
- Pages with broken file links
- 1958 births
- Living people
- Sharif University of Technology alumni
- University of Tehran alumni
- Iranian expatriates in Iraq
- Mazandarani people
- People from Najaf
- People from Amol
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps brigadier generals
- Government ministers of Iran
- Candidates for President of Iran
- Speakers of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
- Iranian nuclear negotiators
- Members of the Expediency Discernment Council
- Deputies of Qom
- Members of the 9th Islamic Consultative Assembly
- Members of the 8th Islamic Consultative Assembly
- Members of the 10th Islamic Consultative Assembly
- Followers of Wilayat fraction members
- Representatives of the supreme leader
- Islamic Coalition Party politicians
- Faculty of Letters and Humanities of the University of Tehran alumni