In the aftermath of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s elimination, Iran’s political system has been thrust into upheaval, and one figure has quickly emerged at the center of power: Ali Ardeshir Amoli Larijani. A longtime insider with deep roots in the Islamic Republic’s leadership, Larijani now stands as the most influential official in Tehran, serving as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and effectively holding the reins of decision-making during a moment of historic uncertainty.

Born on June 3, 1958, in Najaf, Iraq, to a family originally from Amol in Iran’s Mazandaran province, Larijani was raised in a prominent religious household. His father, Ayatollah Mirza Hashemi Amoli, had been exiled to Najaf by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and served there as a senior cleric. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the family returned to Iran, where they became deeply embedded in the new regime’s leadership structure.

According to reports, the Larijani family has occupied some of the most powerful posts in the Islamic Republic. His brother Sadeq Larijani previously headed the judiciary and now chairs the Expediency Discernment Council. Another brother, Mohammad Javad Larijani, has been associated with human rights affairs. Bagher Larijani served as president of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and Fazel Larijani worked as a cultural attaché in Canada. The family is widely regarded as one of the most influential dynasties in Iran, though it has also faced public criticism.

Larijani belongs to the first generation of post-revolutionary officials and was among the early members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He initially worked in propaganda roles before being appointed head of Iran’s state broadcasting authority in July 1994, a position he held for a decade until July 2004.

Academically, he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from Sharif University, followed by a master’s degree and doctorate in Western philosophy from the University of Tehran. In the early 1980s, he served as deputy minister of labor and social affairs under Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi. In October 1992, he was appointed acting minister of culture and Islamic guidance.

In August 2004, Larijani became Khamenei’s adviser on security matters, and in 2005 he was named secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. In that role, he also served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator in talks with Western powers. His first term ended in 2007 after disagreements with then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Larijani returned to electoral politics in March 2008, winning a seat in the Majles representing the city of Qom. He was subsequently elected speaker of parliament for three consecutive terms, leading the eighth, ninth, and tenth Knessets of the Islamic Republic until 2020. He chose not to seek reelection in February of that year.

Over the years, he sought the presidency as well. In 2005, he finished sixth with 5.94 percent of the vote. His candidacies in 2021 and 2024 were disqualified. Even after being dismissed by Ahmadinejad, he remained firmly within Iran’s inner circle of power.

In August 2025, President Masoud Pezeshkian reappointed him as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, a move reportedly made at the recommendation of higher authorities. The position is widely viewed as second only to the Supreme Leader and, in practice, even more powerful than the presidency, as the secretary acts as the leader’s chief executor of strategic policy.

Larijani narrowly escaped death in November 2024 during a visit to Damascus, where he had met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israeli airstrikes targeted the area where he was staying, and contact with him was lost for several hours. Several advisers traveling with him were reportedly killed in the attack, though Larijani himself survived. He later continued regional diplomacy, including visits to Lebanon, where he was received coolly by President Joseph Aoun, who made clear he opposed Iranian interference in his country’s affairs.

His public image inside Iran is complex. In October 2022, during nationwide protests over mandatory hijab laws, Larijani was among the first senior officials to voice measured criticism of the harsh crackdown, urging patience toward young people seeking greater religious freedom. Nevertheless, he and his family have faced scrutiny from segments of the Iranian public, particularly over the fact that some of his children and siblings studied in the West. One of his daughters completed a doctorate in the United States and resides there. His birthplace in Najaf, Iraq—listed in official documents—has also drawn criticism from Iranian nationalists.

Now, with Khamenei gone, Larijani occupies a pivotal position. The Supreme National Security Council is one of the Islamic Republic’s primary decision-making bodies, especially on critical issues such as the nuclear program and Iran’s regional military involvement. Although its decisions formally require approval from the Supreme Leader, the absence of such a figure significantly enhances the secretary’s political and practical authority.

As Iran struggles to stabilize itself amid sustained military pressure from Israel and the United States, Ali Larijani—a veteran of the regime, scion of a powerful clerical family, seasoned negotiator, and survivor of political upheaval and military strikes—has emerged as one of the central figures likely to shape Tehran’s direction in the days ahead.