Who is Ali Larijani? The power broker behind Iran’s wartime strategy Israel says it killed

Dubai: When Israeli and US strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the outset of the Middle East war, one man quickly stepped into the vacuum: Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani — more powerful, and more visible, than at any point in his decades-long career.

Now, even that figure may be gone. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Larijani had been killed, though Iranian authorities have yet to confirm the claim.

In the weeks since the conflict began, Larijani had emerged as the public face of Iran’s wartime leadership, eclipsing the new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since taking over from his slain father.

While Mojtaba remained out of sight, Larijani was on the streets — seen walking among crowds at pro-government rallies in Tehran, projecting defiance in the face of Israeli and US attacks.

If confirmed, his killing would strike at the heart of Iran’s power structure — removing a figure widely seen as uniquely capable of navigating both ideology and diplomacy at a moment of existential crisis.

Ali Larijani has long been one of the most powerful and complex figures inside Iran’s political system — a man known for blending ideological loyalty with calculated pragmatism.

Born on June 3, 1958, in Najaf to an influential clerical family from Amol, Larijani rose through a system deeply shaped by the legacy of Ruhollah Khomeini.

His father, Mirza Hashem Amoli, was a senior religious scholar, and his family has remained deeply embedded in Iran’s ruling elite for decades.

Larijani’s influence surged dramatically after strikes that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the conflict.

While the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, stayed largely out of public view, Larijani became the visible face of the state’s response — even appearing among crowds at pro-government rallies in Tehran.

If confirmed, his reported killing would remove a figure widely seen as capable of navigating both war and diplomacy.

Larijani built a reputation as both an insider and a strategist.

Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group once described him as:

“A true insider, a canny operator, familiar with how the system operates.”

This reputation came from decades at the heart of Iran’s power structure — across the military, media, parliament and national security institutions.

Unlike many Iranian officials, Larijani combined clerical roots with academic training.

He studied mathematics and computer science at Sharif University of Technology before earning a PhD in Western philosophy from the University of Tehran, focusing on Immanuel Kant.

He joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq war, marking the start of his long career in state service.

Larijani went on to hold some of Iran’s most influential roles:

He played a key role in securing approval for the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

In 2025, he returned as head of the SNSC, coordinating defence strategy and nuclear policy during a period of rising tensions.

Larijani was widely viewed as a pragmatic conservative, open to negotiation but firm on Iran’s strategic red lines.

Before the war, he was actively involved in diplomacy, including outreach to Gulf states like Oman and Qatar.

He consistently framed negotiations with the US as limited and strategic, insisting they should focus only on nuclear issues while defending Iran’s right to uranium enrichment.

At the same time, he issued stark warnings about external pressure. In March 2025, he said:

“We are not moving towards (nuclear) weapons, but if you do something wrong in the Iranian nuclear issue, you will force Iran to move towards that because it has to defend itself.”

Despite his influence, Larijani faced political roadblocks:

But his reappointment in 2025 signalled the system’s continued trust in him — particularly in times of crisis.

Larijani was also a controversial figure.

He was sanctioned by the United States over allegations of involvement in the violent suppression of protests triggered by economic hardship.

While acknowledging that economic pressures had fueled unrest, he blamed the violence on foreign interference, particularly from the US and Israel.

During the war, Larijani emerged as a central decision-maker — balancing:

His ability to combine ideological commitment with pragmatism made him one of the system’s most important figures.

If his death is confirmed, it would mark a significant shift — removing a figure seen as uniquely capable of steering Iran through both confrontation and negotiation.