Breaking News: Israel Claims Successful Operation Resulting in Death of Iran’s Security Chief Ali Larijani

Ali Larijani (left) listens to a speech by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2009

Ali Larijani, born in 1957 in Najaf, Iraq, hails from a family deeply embedded in the political fabric of Iran. His father, a distinguished Shia cleric, held close ties with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founding figure of the Islamic Republic. This familial connection has long placed the Larijani family at the heart of Iran’s political landscape.

Throughout the years, some members of Larijani’s family have faced allegations of corruption, charges they have consistently denied. Despite these controversies, Larijani himself has maintained a steadfast presence in the Iranian political arena.

His career reflects a journey through key roles within the government. A former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the turbulent Iran-Iraq war, Larijani transitioned to a decade-long leadership at the helm of state broadcasting agency IRIB from 1994. His influence expanded as he took on the role of parliamentary speaker, a position he held from 2008 to 2020.

In 1996, Larijani was appointed as the representative of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). This appointment paved the way for him to become the secretary of the SNSC, where his diplomatic skills were put to the test. As chief nuclear negotiator from 2005 to 2007, he engaged in critical discussions with international powers such as Britain, France, Germany, and Russia.

He ran in the 2005 presidential elections, losing to populist candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with whom he later had disagreements over nuclear diplomacy. Larijani was then disqualified from running for president in both 2021 and 2024.

‘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.