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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

After Larijani’s death, Iran’s hardline parliament speaker appears to be leading war effort

2026-03-20

Not Hossein Dehghan? See tweet below.

[IsraelTimes] As the new supreme leader remains out of sight, Qalibaf has positioned himself in the public eye, giving interviews and unleashing threats against Israel and the US

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and a veteran of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has emerged as the highest-profile political figure in the Islamic Theocratic Republic after the killing of its leaders.

A pillar of the Iranian establishment for some three decades and one of the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s most prominent non-holy manal figures, Qalibaf, 64, now appears to be playing a key role spearheading the war effort.

Whereas the son and successor of slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei

...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...>
, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public and has issued just three written statements, Qalibaf has been unleashing regular posts on X and giving multiple interviews.

"We are in an unequal war, with an asymmetrical set-up, we must do something and use equipment with our own culture, design and creativity," he told Iranian television on Wednesday.

In a post on X, he added that after attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, "an eye-for-an-eye sum is in effect, and a new level of confrontation has begun."

However,
the hip bone's connected to the leg bone...
possibly aware of the threat to his own security, he did not, unlike the late Larijani, appear in public at pro-government rallies last week marking al-Quds Day.

Larijani was killed in an Israeli air strike on Monday, which followed the killing of Khamenei at the start of the war on February 28.

Qalibaf’s varied experience, which spans military and civilian life, has seen him work as commander of the IRGC’s aerospace corps, Tehran police chief, Tehran mayor and now speaker of parliament.

Known to be fiercely ambitious, he has stood for the Iranian presidency on multiple occasions but has never been successful, most notably in 2005 when the ultra-conservative Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad
... former president of Iran..., little-known at the time, took the presidency.

A qualified pilot, Qalibaf is known for boasting that he is able to captain jumbo jets.

Farzan Sabet, a managing researcher at the Geneva Graduate Institute, said that after Larijani’s killing, Qalibaf was the "person likely overseeing the war effort and strategy."

"He’s the speaker of parliament, a former senior IRGC commander and has strong cross-factional and institutional ties, positioning him well to move into this role," he told AFP.

’VERY FAVORABLE POSITION’
Qalibaf fought in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War and rose rapidly through the ranks. He reached the upper echelons of the military establishment in the late 1990s when he became commander of the Guards’ fledgling aerospace forces.

He was then named national police commander in 1999, against the backdrop of unprecedented student protests.

He has long coveted the presidency, running in 2005, 2013 and 2024, and briefly entering the 2017 race before withdrawing in favour of another conservative candidate. His strongest showing came in 2013, when he finished second.

After the 2005 presidential election loss, he was elected mayor of Tehran.

During his 12 years as mayor, supporters praised his technocratic approach and focus on urban management, while critics pointed to allegations of financial corruption.

Human rights groups have accused Qalibaf, in his various functions, of playing a key role in suppressing protests, from the 1999 student demonstrations through to the 2009 Green movement that erupted after a disputed election, right up to the nationwide protests that peaked in January 2026.

Qalibaf was elected speaker of parliament in 2020, at times advocating economic reforms and stronger parliamentary oversight while remaining aligned with the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s core institutions.

"Iran’s strongest man is now probably Qalibaf," said Arash Azizi, lecturer at Yale University, describing him as "a rare figure whose portfolio crosses between military, security and political functions of the regime."

"He is known to be running the war effort now," Azizi said, adding that Qalibaf appeared to be an ally of Mojtaba Khamenei.

"He seems to be in a very favorable position now."

Qalibaf has predicted the war would reshape the Middle East, but not on Washington’s terms.

"The order here will change, but it will not be an order in which the will of the United States prevails," he said in a recorded video interview carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency and other media.

The excitement builds in Iran. pic.twitter.com/186qRGKwQq
— AmericanSanityMagazine (@AmericanHoodE) March 18, 2026

These are the key Iranian figures killed in the US-Israeli bombing campaign
[IsraelTimes] Longtime leader Khamenei, top aides such as security chief Larijani, military brass responsible for terror proxies and internal repression, are among dozens of officials killed in war

The US and Israel have killed dozens of top political and military figures in Iran since launching a bombing campaign there on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its clerical regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Iran’s leadership has repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction and amassed an arsenal of thousands of ballistic missiles. Tehran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, has but enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and, according to Israel, has taken steps toward weaponization.

Below are some of the most prominent Iranian figures killed in the war:

ALI KHAMENEI
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who as supreme leader since 1989 had an iron grip over Iran while entrenching hostility toward the US and Israel, was killed aged 86 in a strike on his compound in Tehran during the opening salvo of the US-Israeli bombing campaign.

His decades of rule were marked by consolidation of power through the security apparatus and expansion of Iran’s regional influence, including by funding and supporting a network of terror proxies surrounding Israel. Tensions over Iran’s nuclear program repeatedly brought the Islamic Republic into confrontation with the West during his rule.

Iran’s top clerics have named Khamenei’s son Mojtaba as his successor. Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign, when he was reportedly wounded in a strike. Israel has vowed to hunt down the younger Khamenei, and US President Donald Trump declared him “unacceptable.”

ALI LARIJANI
Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a veteran powerbroker, was killed at 67 in an Israeli airstrike in the Pardis area on March 17, along with his son and one of his deputies, Iranian media reported. Israel also said it had killed Larijani, whom it described as Iran’s “de facto leader” following Ali Khamenei’s death.

A former Revolutionary Guards commander and nuclear negotiator, Larijani was a close adviser to the slain supreme leader and played an important role in shaping Iran’s security and foreign policy.

ESMAIL KHATIB
Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, was killed in an Israeli strike on March 18. A hardline cleric and politician, he worked in Ali Khamenei’s office and was mentored by him, before taking the helm of the civilian intelligence apparatus in August 2021.

ALI SHAMKHANI
A close adviser to Ali Khamenei and a key figure in Iran’s security and nuclear policymaking, Ali Shamkhani was killed in an Israeli strike on Tehran on February 28. He had earlier survived an attack on his home during the 12-day June war between Israel and Iran.

MOHAMMAD PAKPOUR
The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s most powerful military force, Mohammed Pakpour was killed in the February 28 strikes in Tehran, Iranian state media said.

He rose through the ranks to lead the IRGC after his predecessor Hossein Salami was killed in the 12-day war in June. The IRGC, a US- and EU-designated terrorist organization, facilitates Iran’s regional Axis of Resistance terror proxy network that includes Gaza’s Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.

AZIZ NASIRZADEH
Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, a career air force officer, was killed in the same wave of strikes targeting senior leadership in Tehran on February 28, according to sources. He played a key role in military planning and defense policy.

ABDOLRAHIM MOUSAVI
Chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces Abdolrahim Mousavi was killed in the February 28 strikes during what Iranian media said was a meeting of senior leadership in Tehran. He was responsible for coordinating Iran’s military branches and overseeing conventional forces.

GHOLAMREZA SOLEIMANI
The commander of the IRGC’s Basij paramilitary force, Gholamreza Soleimani, was killed in US-Israeli strikes on March 17, according to Iranian state media. Israel has claimed responsibility for killing him. A senior Revolutionary Guards officer, Soleimani led the volunteer internal security force that has played a key role in repressing dissent, including the killing of thousands of anti-regime protesters in January.

Ali Larijani’s daughter returns to Iran for her father’s funeral and goes on state media to praise her daddy.

Oh, and she’s been living in the U.S. and working at Emory University. https://t.co/TCpxfmpzM7 pic.twitter.com/HMG1XrzbDy
— The Persian Jewess (@persianjewess) March 19, 2026

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