Ali Larijani

Ali Ardashir Larijani (born 3 June 1958) is an Iraqi-born Iranian politician, retired military officer and philosopher who has served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council since 2025. He previously served in the position from 2005 to 2007.

Born in Najaf, Iraq, to the Mazani-origin Larijani family, he studied Western philosophy from the University of Tehran. He rose to prominence within the Islamic Republic after joining the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He served as the speaker of the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2020. He has been a member of the Expediency Discernment Council since 2020, having previously served from 1997 to 2008. He filed for candidacy in the 2024 presidential election, but was ultimately disqualified. He previously ran in 2005, but finished in sixth place, and was also disqualified from running in 2021.

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. 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.

Larijani is regarded as the de facto leader of Iran from the end of December 2025 until now, since the 28 February Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf is seen as the de facto co-leader of Larijani,while Mojtaba Khamenei is more of a puppet. On 15 January 2026, following the protests and claims of massacres in Iran, the US imposed new sanctions on Larijani, for his part in repressing protestors. According to a report, Larijani has been the "mastermind" in the January 2026 crackdown, leveraging his close ties to IRGC commanders and intelligence services, together with his family's longstanding connections to senior clerics, to consolidate support across rival factions and prepare to assume leadership after Khamenei's death. In response to the EU's decision to label the IRGC as a terrorist organization, Larijani tweeted that the military forces of any countries supporting the EU's decision against the IRGC would be considered terrorist groups and would face consequences of their actions.