Ali Larijani is the influential secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
He was appointed in August 2025 by President Masoud Pezeshkian as secretary of the SNSC and as the representative of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to the council.
He has also been described in Iranian outlets as an adviser to the late supreme leader. He served as speaker of Iran’s parliament for 12 years, from May 2008 to May 2020.
Although he headed the Principlist faction in parliament from 2008 to 2012, he has been described as a “moderate conservative” in recent years.
Before becoming speaker, Larijani served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2005 and 2007.
His brother, Sadegh Larijani, is another influential figure in the Islamic Republic. He chairs the Expediency Council, a top arbitration body that serves as the final arbiter between parliament and the constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council.