Iranian Power Broker Takes Control After Supreme Leader’s Death

Following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an airstrike, veteran politician Ali Larijani has announced the formation of a temporary leadership council. Larijani, who leads Iran's Supreme National Security Council, has emerged as a key figure managing everything from nuclear negotiations to regional security matters.

A seasoned Iranian political figure has stepped into a leadership vacuum after announcing Sunday that a temporary governing council will take charge following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an airstrike.

Ali Larijani, who has risen to become one of Iran’s most influential security officials over the past year, has been handling a wide range of critical issues including nuclear diplomacy, regional relationships, and the government’s harsh response to domestic protests.

The establishment veteran, who comes from a prominent religious family, had been leading Iran’s attempts to negotiate a nuclear agreement with America – this came just one month after the U.S. imposed sanctions on him in January for his alleged role in violently suppressing anti-government demonstrations.

On Sunday, Larijani blamed the United States and Israel for attempting to “plunder and disintegrate Iran” and issued warnings to “secessionist groups” about severe consequences if they take action, according to state television reports. This statement came nearly a full day after attacks against Iran commenced.

Iranian state media also reported that Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi died in the strikes.

Since taking over as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in August, Larijani has maintained senior positions throughout his career, earning recognition for his unwavering loyalty to Khamenei and his skill at working with competing factions within the system.

His position as a trusted advisor to Khamenei became clear last month when he traveled to Oman, which serves as a mediator, to lay groundwork for indirect nuclear discussions with the United States. This occurred as Washington increased its military presence in the Middle East to pressure Iran before launching strikes.

In recent months, Larijani has also made multiple visits to Moscow, Iran’s important ally, to discuss various security partnerships, demonstrating his return to high-level international diplomacy.

LARIJANI VIEWS NUCLEAR DISPUTE AS ‘SOLVABLE’

Having previously led the SNSC two decades ago, Larijani returned to this leadership position after last year’s 12-day aerial conflict between Iran and Israel, which also involved the United States, bringing him back to the center of Iran’s security apparatus.

His public comments regarding nuclear issues have often reflected a practical approach.

“In my view, this issue is resolvable,” Larijani stated to Oman state television last month about the U.S. negotiations. “If the Americans’ concern is that Iran should not move toward acquiring a nuclear weapon, that can be addressed.”

However, following January’s widespread anti-government protests, Washington criticized his security council position.

A U.S. government statement announcing sanctions against Larijani and other officials for their response to the protests described him as leading the effort to suppress the demonstrations that occurred across Iran in January.

“Larijani was one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people,” stated a U.S. Treasury announcement on January 15, noting that Larijani acted on Khamenei’s orders.

Human rights organizations report that thousands died during the government’s crackdown on the protests, marking Iran’s most severe internal unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

‘TRADING A PEARL FOR CANDY’

While Larijani, like other Iranian officials, showed some sympathy for demonstrations driven by economic difficulties, he condemned violent actions that he claimed were encouraged by Israel, Iran’s primary adversary.

“Popular protests must be completely separated from these terrorist-similar groups,” state media quoted him as saying on January 10. “The rioters are an urban quasi-terrorist group,” he was reported as saying on January 26.

A former Revolutionary Guards member, Larijani worked as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator from 2005-2007, defending Tehran’s claimed right to uranium enrichment. He famously compared European offers to halt nuclear fuel production to “exchanging a pearl for a candy bar.”

During that period, Iranian experts believed he tried to convince Western nations through diplomatic means and was viewed as a moderate.

The United States and Israel maintain that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons that could endanger Israel’s survival. Iran insists its nuclear activities are entirely for peaceful purposes.

From 2008 to 2020, Larijani served as parliament speaker. While in this role, Iran reached a nuclear agreement with six global powers in 2015 following nearly two years of complex negotiations. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of this carefully negotiated deal in 2018 during his first presidency.

WORKING WITH PUTIN

Larijani has warned that Iran’s nuclear capabilities “can never be destroyed.”

“Because once you have discovered a technology, they can’t take the discovery away,” he explained to PBS Frontline in September 2025. “It’s as if you are the inventor of some machine, and the machine is stolen from you. You can still make it again.”

Through frequent trips to Moscow and meetings with President Vladimir Putin, Larijani has helped Khamenei maintain relations with a crucial ally and global power that balances pressure from Trump.

Larijani also oversaw negotiations with China that resulted in a 25-year cooperation deal in 2021.

He ran for president unsuccessfully in 2005 and later attempted to compete in the 2021 and 2024 presidential races but was rejected both times by the Guardian Council, which pointed to concerns including personal conduct standards and family connections overseas.

Born in Najaf, Iraq, in 1958 into a prominent Iranian religious family, Larijani relocated to Iran during childhood and eventually obtained a philosophy doctorate. Multiple brothers have also served in high-ranking government positions, including in the court system and foreign ministry.

In January, one of Larijani’s daughters lost her medical teaching job at Emory University in the United States after Iranian-American activists protested her father’s involvement in suppressing that month’s demonstrations.