View source for Ali Akbar Velayati

{{Short description|Iranian politician and physician (born 1945)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = 
| name                = Ali Akbar Velayati
| honorific-suffix    = 
| native_name         = {{No bold|{{Script/Nastaliq|علی‌اکبر ولایتی}}}}
| native_name_lang    = fa
| image               = Ali Akbar Velayati 13990502 1746100.jpg
| imagesize           = 220px
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1945|06|24|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Shemiranat County|Rostamabad]], [[Imperial State of Iran|Iran]]
| office              = Member of [[Expediency Discernment Council]]
| term_start          = 17 March 1997
| term_end            = 
| appointer           = [[Ali Khamenei]]
| 1blankname          = Chairman
| 1namedata           = [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]<br />[[Ali Movahedi-Kermani]] (Acting)<br />[[Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi]]<br />[[Sadeq Larijani]]
| office2             = [[Foreign Affairs Minister of Iran|Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran]]
| term_start2         = 15 December 1981
| term_end2           = 20 August 1997
| president2          = [[Ali Khamenei]]<br/>[[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]
| primeminister2      = [[Mir-Hossein Mousavi]]
| predecessor2        = [[Mir-Hossein Mousavi]]
| successor2          = [[Kamal Kharazi]]
| office3             = [[Parliament of Iran|Member of the Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly]]
| term_start3         = 28 May 1980
| term_end3           = 15 December 1981
| constituency3       = [[Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr (electoral district)|Tehran, Rey and Shemiranat]]
| majority3           = 858,305 (52.5%)
| party               = [[Islamic Association of Physicians of Iran]]<br />[[Islamic Coalition Party]]<ref>{{citation|last=Jedinia|first=Mehdi|date=26 August 2010|issue=50|title=Ahmadinejad Faces New Conservative Challenge: Relations with Motalefeh party strained by series of disputes|publisher=[[Institute for War & Peace Reporting]]|url=https://iwpr.net/global-voices/ahmadinejad-faces-new-conservative-challenge|access-date=5 June 2017|archive-date=11 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611132325/https://iwpr.net/global-voices/ahmadinejad-faces-new-conservative-challenge|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| otherparty          = [[Islamic Republican Party]] {{small|(1979–1987)}}<br/> [[National Front (Iran)|National Front]]  {{small|(1961–1970s)}}
| awards              = [[File:Ribbon of Knowledge.png|30px]] [[Order of Knowledge]] <small>(1st class)</small><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1392/06/02/122731/%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%BE%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%85%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D9%86%DA%98%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%DA%86%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84|agency=[[Tasnim News Agency]]|script-title=fa:نشان‌های دولتی در روزهای پایانی خاتمی و احمدی‌نژاد به چه‌کسانی رسید؟ |language=fa|date=24 August 2013|access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref>
| children            = 6
| spouse              = Shirin Khoshnevisan {{small|(1980–2003, her death)}}<br />Leyla Enayati {{small|(2007–present)}}<ref>[http://www.isna.ir/fa/news/92032011547/%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%DA%AF%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C تمام اطلاعات خانوادگی کاندیداهای ریاست جمهوری یازدهم ]</ref>
| alma_mater          = [[Tehran University of Medical Sciences]]<br/>[[Johns Hopkins University]]
| signature           = Ali-Akbar Velayati signature.png
| signature_alt       = 
| website             = {{URL|http://www.velayati.ir|velayati.ir}}
| caption             = Velayati in 2020
}}
'''Ali Akbar Velayati''' ({{langx|fa|علی‌اکبر ولایتی}} {{pronunciation|Ali Akbar Velayati from Iran pronunciation.ogg|English pronunciation}}; born 24 June 1945) is an Iranian [[Iranian Principlists|principlist]] politician and [[physician]]. He is currently a member of the [[Expediency Discernment Council]]. Velayati is a [[distinguished professor]] at [[Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences]], senior adviser to the [[Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]] in international affairs and head of the board of founders and the board of trustees of the [[Islamic Azad University]].

He is also a member of [[Iranian Science and Culture Hall of Fame]], [[Expediency Discernment Council]]'s President of [[Center for Strategic Research (Iran)|Center for Strategic Research]], senior fellow of [[Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences]], and also a former member of [[Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution]]. He is the secretary-general of the [[World Assembly of Islamic Awakening]].

He was the [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Iran)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] for more than fifteen years from December 1981 to August 1997 under [[Prime Minister of Iran|Prime Minister]] [[Mir-Hossein Mousavi]] and [[President of Iran|Presidents]] [[Ali Khamenei]] and [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]. He is the first and only person to have held this position for over ten years. He was a candidate in [[2013 Iranian presidential election|2013 presidential election]] and lost, coming fifth out of the six candidates garnering 2,268,753 votes, which was 6.18% of the votes.

==Early life and education==
Velayati was born in Rostamabad village in [[Shemiran]], [[Tehran]], on 24 June 1945.<ref name=aalawsat11/><ref>{{cite web|title=Ali Akbar Velayati|url=http://www.irdiplomacy.ir/en/page/1911953/Ali+Akbar+Velayati.html|work=IRDiplomacy|access-date=16 August 2013|date=23 January 2013}}</ref> He was matriculated into [[Tehran University]] of medical sciences in 1964. Velayati finished his studies in pediatrics before moving to [[Johns Hopkins University]] for a fellowship in infectious diseases.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} In the meantime, Velayati taught at university and was an active member of such influential body as the [[Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution]]. He is still a member of [[Expediency Council]] and Islamic Encyclopedia Foundation.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

==Career==
With 38 positions in the government, Velayati is known as the man with most official posts and responsibilities. He is known as one of the key figures of the "Mafia" who govern Iran's foreign ministry from inside the "Office of the Supreme leader" and make the most important decisions. He was appointed the International affairs advisor to the supreme leader of Iran in March 2021.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=manototv
|language=fa|title=علی‌اکبر ولایتی؛ ابوالمشاغل بیت رهبری و پدرخوانده سیاست خارجه ایران کیست؟ او با ۷۵ سال سن ۳۸ سمت دارد و از بعد از انقلاب یکی از مهره‌های اصلی مافیای سیاست خارجه ایران است|number=1368236951304892420}} {{better source|date=May 2024}}</ref>

In 1961, Velayeti joined [[National Front (Iran)|the National Front]], a secular party.<ref name=aalawsat11/> Following the [[Iranian Revolution]] in 1979, he was elected as a member of the [[Iranian parliament|parliament]] from his home town in [[1980 Iranian legislative election|parliamentary election]] of that year. He was also a deputy minister of health from November 1980 to July 1981 in the cabinet of [[Mohammad-Ali Rajai]].{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

After winning the presidential election on 13 October 1981, then [[President of Iran|President]] [[Ali Khamenei]] proposed Velayati as his [[Prime Minister of Iran|prime minister]] to the [[Parliament of Iran]], but Parliament voted against him on 22 October. Khamenei later proposed [[Mir-Hossein Mousavi]], who gained Parliament's approval. In November 1986, Velayati argued that Iran should have diplomatic ties with all countries.<ref name=hunter>{{cite journal|last=Hunter|first=Shireen T.|title=After the Ayatollah|journal=Foreign Policy|date=Spring 1987|volume=66|issue=66|pages=77–97|doi=10.2307/1148665|jstor=1148665}}</ref>

During the premiership of Mousavi, Velayati served as the minister of foreign affairs. After the election of [[Hashemi Rafsanjani]] as president, he retained his post until 1997, when Rafsanjani's term was ended.<ref name=aalawsat11>{{cite news|title=Candidate Profile: Ali Akbar Velayati|url=http://m.asharq-e.com/content/1370969565446439300/Published%20-%20Features|access-date=21 June 2013|newspaper=Asharq Alawsat|date=11 June 2013|archive-date=1 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701110627/http://m.asharq-e.com/content/1370969565446439300/Published%20-%20Features|url-status=dead}}</ref> He has been an advisor on international affairs to the [[Supreme Leader of Iran]] since 1997.<ref>[[Hooman Majd|Majd, Hooman]]. ''The Ayatollah Begs to Differ''. ''[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]]''. 2008. 224.</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The foreign policies of Middle East states|url=http://dro.dur.ac.uk/4169/1/4169.pdf|year=2002|publisher=Boulder, Co.|pages=283–290|author=A. Ehteshami|editor=Lynne Rienner|chapter=The foreign policy of Iran}}</ref>

===AMIA bombing===
In November 2006, [[Argentine]] Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corra issued international arrest warrants for Velayati, six other Iranians and one Lebanese in connection with the [[AMIA bombing|bombing]] of the [[Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina]] (AMIA) in [[Buenos Aires]], which resulted in the death of 85 people and serious injuries to 151.<ref name=ste>Stephens, Brett, "Iran's al Qaeda", Stephens' "Global View" column, editorial pages, ''The Wall Street Journal'', 16 October 2007; p. A20</ref> Velayati has been on the official Wanted list of [[Interpol]] since March 2007, for allegations of "Aggravated Murder and Damages" related to the AMIA bombing.<ref>[http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20080303062326/http://www.interpol.int/Public/data/wanted/notices/data/2007/58/2007_49958.asp Wanted profile on Interpol website]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.interpol.int/Public/ICPO/PressReleases/PR2007/PR200754.asp|title=Archived copy|access-date=20 August 2010|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20100820110351/http%3A//www.interpol.int/Public/ICPO/PressReleases/PR2007/PR200754.asp|archive-date=20 August 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=sap16nov>{{cite news|title=Argentina: More international arrest warrants issued for 1994 Jewish center bombing|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/ARGENTINA%3a+MORE+INTERNATIONAL+ARREST+WARRANTS+ISSUED+FOR+1994+JEWISH...-a0171417659|access-date=25 March 2013|work=South American Political and Economic Affairs|date=16 November 2007}}</ref> The arrest warrant is based on the allegation that senior Iranian officials planned the attack in an August 1993 meeting, including Khamanei, the Supreme Leader, [[Mohammad Hejazi]], Khamanei's intelligence and security advisor, [[Rafsanjani]], then president, [[Ali Fallahian]], then intelligence minister, and Velayati, then foreign minister.<ref>{{cite web|last=Barsky|first=Yehudit|title=Hizballah|url=http://www.ajc.org/atf/cf/%7B42D75369-D582-4380-8395-D25925B85EAF%7D/Hizballah_052003.pdf|work=The American Jewish Committee|access-date=5 August 2013|format=Terrorism Briefing|date=May 2003|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184824/http://www.ajc.org/atf/cf/%7B42D75369-D582-4380-8395-D25925B85EAF%7D/Hizballah_052003.pdf|archive-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>

===Later years===
Velayeti was appointed to the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations in 2006. He appears to be close to Supreme Leader [[Ali Khamenei]], serving as his advisor on international affairs and writing the introduction to Khamenei's book ''Palestine''. He attended funeral service of [[Imad Mughniyah]], who had been killed on 12 February 2008, representing Khamenei on 14 February in Lebanon.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chalhoub|first=Elie|title=Imad Mughniyeh in Iran: The Stuff of Legends|url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/4198|access-date=4 August 2013|newspaper=Al Akhbar|date=14 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929133648/http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/4198|archive-date=29 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 30 October 2013, Velayati became head of [[Center for Strategic Research (Iran)|Center for Strategic Research]], being appointed by [[Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]].<ref>[http://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/354646/%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D8%A7%DB%8C%DA%AF%D8%B2%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF ولایتی جایگزین روحانی شد]</ref> He was succeeded by [[Hassan Rouhani]].

In November 2019, the United States Treasury Department has sanctioned Velayati.<ref>[https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm824 Treasury Designates Supreme Leader of Iran’s Inner Circle Responsible for Advancing Regime’s Domestic and Foreign Oppression] home.treasury.gov</ref>

==Presidential campaigns==
===2005 presidential election===
Iran's conservative alliance considered Velayati a possible candidate for [[2005 Iranian presidential election|2005 presidential election]]. Still, he announced that he did not accept the candidacy of the conservative alliance and would run as an [[Independent politician|Independent]]. He finally decided not to run. It was speculated that he did not want to run against [[Ali Akbar Rafsanjani|Rafsanjani]].

===2013 presidential election===
He announced his candidacy for the [[2013 Iranian presidential election|2013 presidential election]] and was supported by some conservative groups. He promised a robust external relationship with community reconciliation and more diplomatic relations with Europe and the United States. He also criticized [[President of Iran|President]] [[Ahmadinejad]]'s foreign policy.<ref>[http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/iranelections/2013/05/2013521111920821747.html Candidates profile] Al Jazeera, 21 May 2013</ref> He received 6.4% (2,268,753) of the votes, coming in fifth place.

==Personal life==
On 12 March 2020, the [[Tasnim News Agency]] reported that Velayati had tested positive for [[COVID-19]]. He was reported to be under quarantine.<ref>{{cite news |title=Top adviser to Iran's supreme leader infected with coronavirus: Tasnim |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-iran-aide/top-adviser-to-irans-supreme-leader-infected-with-coronavirus-tasnim-idUSKBN20Z38J |access-date=12 March 2020 |work=Reuters|date=12 March 2020}}</ref>

==Works==
Velayati has had a large number of books and academic works published, including:{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}
* ''Dynamism of Islamic and Iranian Culture and Civilization''
* ''Iran and the Question of Palestine''
* ''Iran and the Developments of Palestine''
* ''Historical Crisis of Iranian Identity''
* ''Intellectual Prelude to Constitutional Movement''
* ''History of Iran Foreign Relations under Shah Abbas Safavid I''
* ''History of Iran Foreign Relations under Shah Ismail Safavid II''
* ''Political History of the Iraqi Imposed War Against the Islamic Republic of Iran''
* ''History of Iran Foreign Relations under Nasser addin Shah and Mozaffar addin Shah''
* ''Tuberculosis''
* ''Infectious Diseases''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Ali Akbar Velayati}}

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{{succession box|before=[[Hassan Rouhani]]|title=President of [[Center for Strategic Research (Iran)|Center for Strategic Research]]|years=2013–2017|after=Institute dissolved}}
{{succession box|before=[[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]|title=Chairman of Board of Trustees of [[Islamic Azad University]]|years=2017–present|after=Incumbent}}
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{{Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Iran}}
{{Iranian presidential election, 2013 footer}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Velayati, Ali Akbar}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni]]
[[Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of Iran]]
[[Category:Iranian infectious disease physicians]]
[[Category:Central Council of the Islamic Republican Party members]]
[[Category:Members of the Expediency Discernment Council]]
[[Category:Candidates for President of Iran]]
[[Category:People of the Iranian Revolution]]
[[Category:Islamic Association of Physicians of Iran politicians]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Knowledge]]
[[Category:National Front (Iran) student activists]]
[[Category:Islamic Coalition Party politicians]]
[[Category:Iranian Science and Culture Hall of Fame recipients in Medicine]]
[[Category:Iranian individuals subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions]]
[[Category:Politicians from Tehran]]
[[Category:Physicians from Tehran]]
[[Category:Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences]]