Ali Larijani

Ali Ardashir Larijani (3 June 1958 – 17 March 2026) was an Iranian politician, military officer, and philosopher who served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 2025 until his assassination in 2026. He had previously served in the position from 2005 to 2007. From late December 2025 until his assassination, he was widely considered to be one of the most powerful officials in the Iranian government.

Born in Najaf, Iraq, to the ethnic Mazanderani-origin Larijani family, he studied Western philosophy at the University of Tehran. He rose to prominence within the Islamic Republic after joining the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 1981. He served as the speaker of the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2020. He was a member of the Expediency Discernment Council from 2020 until his death, 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 Ali Khamenei to the council, the other being Hassan Rouhani. In his post as secretary, he functioned as the top negotiator on issues of national security, including the nuclear program of Iran. He was also a member of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.

From c. 28 December 2025 until 17 March 2026, Larijani was described as the country's most powerful man by multiple newspapers like Haaretz, or as "de facto leader" by The Australian and others. Reportedly the IRGC supported him. On 15 January 2026, following a wave of protests and the ensuing massacres, the United States imposed new sanctions on Larijani for his part in repressing protesters. He was described as the "mastermind" of 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. On 17 March 2026, Larijani was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike.