Ali Larijani is seen as a pragmatist, and he quickly rose to become one of the powerful figures in Iran's political arena after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to Iranian state media, Ali Larijani rapidly emerged as one of the influential figures in Iran's political scene after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and he has now been killed.

The statement released by Iran late Tuesday came hours after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that 67-year-old Larijani had died in a nighttime strike during the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.

According to Iranian state media on Tuesday, General Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij militia, also died in an attack.

Larijani was the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. His last public appearance was last Friday when he attended the Quds Day parade held in the capital Tehran.

He was the highest-ranking Iranian official killed in an airstrike since Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war on February 28.

For decades, Larijani has been a representative of the conservative and pragmatic faction within Iran's establishment—he wrote a book about the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant and negotiated nuclear agreements with Western countries.

But on March 1, the tone of this security minister changed irreversibly.

Just 24 hours after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes killed Khamenei and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour, Larijani appeared on national television and delivered a fiery speech.

"The United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) have ignited the hearts of the Iranian people," he wrote on social media. "We will make them feel the pain. We will make the Zionist criminals and the shameless Americans regret their actions."

"Brave soldiers and great Iranian people will give these evil international oppressors a lesson they will never forget," he added.

Larijani accused U.S. President Donald Trump of falling into "Israel's trap" and was a key figure in the ruling system's response to the biggest crisis since 1979.

After Khamenei's assassination, he played a significant role in co-governing with a three-member transitional committee.

So who exactly is Larijani? Who was he, and what will be his political legacy?

"The Kennedys of Iran"

Born on June 3, 1958, in Najaf, Iraq, his family comes from a wealthy household in the city of Amol in Iran. Larijani comes from an influential family, and in 2009, Time magazine called them "the Kennedys of Iran."

His father, Mirza Hashem Amoli, was an outstanding religious scholar. Like Larijani, his brothers have also held some of the most powerful positions in Iran, including in the judiciary and the Assembly of Experts—a scholarly body responsible for electing and supervising the Supreme Leader.

Larijani's connection with the revolutionary elite of post-1979 Iran also has personal ties. At the age of 20, he married Farideh Mottahari, daughter of Morteza Mottahari, a close advisor to the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini.

Despite his family's conservative religious background, his children have taken different life paths. His daughter Fatima graduated from Tehran University Medical School and completed her specialty training at Cleveland State University in Ohio, USA.

Mathematician and Philosopher

Differing from many of his peers who only come from religious seminaries, Larijani also has a secular academic background.

In 1979, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and computer science from Sharif University. Later, he completed a master's and doctorate in Western philosophy at Tehran University, with his doctoral dissertation focusing on Immanuel Kant.

However, what truly defined his career was his political stance.

After the 1979 revolution, he joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the early 1980s and entered the government, serving as Minister of Culture during the presidency of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani from 1994 to 1997, and later as director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) from 1994 to 2004. During his tenure at IRIB, he faced criticism from reformists, who accused him of restrictive policies that led Iranian youth to turn to foreign media.

From 2008 to 2020, he served three consecutive terms as speaker of parliament, playing a significant role in shaping domestic and foreign policies.

Returning to the Security Field

Larijani ran as a conservative candidate for president in 2005 but did not make it to the second round. That same year, he was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and chief nuclear negotiator.

In 2007, due to growing differences with then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nuclear policies, he resigned from those positions.

In 2008, Larijani was elected as a member of parliament, representing the religious center of Qom, and became speaker. This increased his influence, and he continued to be involved with nuclear issues, eventually leading to the approval of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers.

After stepping down as speaker and member of parliament in 2020, Larijani attempted to run for president again in 2021. However, he was disqualified by the Guardian Council, which reviews candidates' eligibility. He was also disqualified from running in the 2024 presidential election. The Guardian Council did not provide a reason for disqualifying him, but analysts believe that the 2021 disqualification was a move by the current power bloc to clear the way for hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, who ultimately won the election. Larijani criticized the 2024 disqualification as "opaque."

However, he returned to politics in August 2025, being reappointed by President Masoud Pezeshkian as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Since taking office, his position has become more hardened. In October 2025, it was reported that Larijani had canceled cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and declared its reports "no longer valid."

Diplomacy in the Fire

Although Larijani takes a hard line, he is generally considered pragmatic and one of the few within the Iranian system who may be willing to compromise, partly because of his past support for the 2015 nuclear deal.

Even weeks before the current escalation, it was reported that Larijani was engaged in indirect talks with the U.S.

This February, during talks mediated by Oman, he stated that Tehran had not received specific proposals from Washington and accused Israel of trying to sabotage diplomatic channels to "incite war."

Before the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, Larijani told Al Jazeera that Iran's position on negotiations was "positive" and noted that the U.S. had realized that military options were not feasible. "Pursuing negotiations is a rational approach," he said at the time.

However, the U.S.-Israeli attack shattered the diplomatic window.

In a speech, Larijani assured the nation that Iran had plans to arrange leadership succession according to the constitution. He warned the U.S. that the idea of killing leaders to destabilize Iran was a fantasy.

"We have no intention of attacking regional countries," he said, "but we will target any military bases used by the U.S."

This relatively pragmatic tone seemed to vanish. Larijani denied media reports that he hoped to restart negotiations with the U.S., saying Iran "will not negotiate with Washington."

Instead, his rhetoric escalated rapidly. On March 5, in response to Trump's refusal to rule out deploying ground forces, Larijani vowed that if U.S. troops entered Iran, they would be captured and killed. "The brave sons of Khomeini and Khamenei are waiting for you, ready to humiliate those corrupt American officials by killing and capturing thousands," he warned.

His actions went beyond words. On March 13, despite continued bombing of the capital Tehran by the U.S. and Israel, Larijani joined Pezeshkian and thousands of demonstrators on the streets of Tehran to commemorate Quds Day, presenting an image of resilience in the face of attacks.

On Monday, Larijani posted a letter on his X account condemning Muslim nations for remaining silent in the war.

"If you don't respond to the call of Muslims, you're not a Muslim. What kind of Islam is this?" he wrote.

Last week, the U.S. Department of State announced a $10 million reward for information on Larijani, the new Supreme Leader Khamenei, and other senior officials, and accused them of directing global "terrorism."

Al Jazeera correspondent Toshid Asadi in Tehran reported that political elites view Larijani as a bridge between the security apparatus, the military, and the political system.

He described Larijani's death as "significant" and said it would affect Iran's strategic decisions.

Asadi said, "After Khamenei's assassination, he played an important role in strategic decision-making."

He added, "Although Iran's political and military systems have suffered heavy losses, they are still functioning, but finding someone like Larijani is not easy."

"He was one of the key figures in controlling the war, perhaps also one of the key figures in reigniting hopes for de-escalation in the current highly sensitive situation."

Source: Al Jazeera

Original: toutiao.com/article/7618373661954785830/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.