Who Is Saeed Jalili? The Hardliner Set to Lead Iran’s Supreme National Security Council After Ali Larijani’s Death | All You Need to Know

US-Israel-Iran War Latest Update:The realization of the deaths of Ali Larijani in an airstrike in Tehran has put Iran in a strategic position in its political and security leadership.

“US-Israel-Iran War Latest Update:The realization of the deaths of Ali Larijani in an airstrike in Tehran has put Iran in a strategic position in its political and security leadership”

The Sunday Guardian

One of the key players in the military and political machine of Iran, Larijani, was killed together with his son and assistant, which left a gap in the leadership of the Supreme National Security Council.

The Sunday Guardian

The attention of the analysts is now on Saeed Jalili who is a long time hard-liner, as a possible successor.

Larijani is the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and thus, was in charge of the military policies of Iran amid the high tensions between Iran and US and Iran and Israel.

He organized the reaction to the protests, nuclear talks, and possible military conflicts, as well as Iranian security policies were well-knitted.

The Sunday Guardian

His leadership was particularly important during crises that occurred after specific assassinations of Iranian leaders.

The death of Larijani has left a huge power vacuum.

The Iranian leadership has a problem of having to choose a successor that will be able to manage tensions in the region and domestic politics.

Analysts imply that the lack of such a stabilizing figure might hasten the process of consolidation of power among the hardliners and this might cause a shift in foreign and domestic policies of Iran.

It has also shifted its attention to the family of Larijani, especially to his daughter, Fatemeh Ardashir Larijani who is a cancer specialist based in the US.

Her association with the political legacy of her father has also been a source of questioning and deportation demands, as an example of the conflicts between individual family relationships and the political position of a citizen in Iran.

Saeed Jalili, 60 years old, is a distinguished negotiator of Iran, who served as the chief nuclear negotiator between 2007 and 2013 under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

His strict, perfectionist negotiating nature and would be a frustrating trait to Western counterparts.

He was against the 2015 nuclear deal which he termed as excessively accommodative, and subsequently emerged as a counteracting element towards policies he believed were feeble.

Saeed Jalili was born in 1965 in Mashhad to a Kurdish father and Azeri mother and grew up in a modest househol where as his father was a school principal.

Jalili received his PhD in political science at Imam Sadeq University majoring in Islamic political thought and went to teach at the university.

As a Basij volunteer, Jalili has taken part in the Iran-Iraq War where he lost the part of the right leg and became so known as the Living Martyr.

He enrolled in Foreign Ministry, ascended to the Supreme National Security Council and contested presidency in 2013, where he came third.

Nevertheless, he still wields some power in the conservative and hardline Iranian politics.

Saeed Jalili is a veteran of the diplomacy and security field and he is the perfect candidate to lead the Supreme National Security Council after the departure of Larijani.

The analysts believe that he may fill the position temporarily or permanently, and may bring Iran to the more intractable position with the US and regional enemies.

1. Who is Saeed Jalili? Saeed Jalili is a former chief nuclear negotiator as well as a hard-line politician and has long been influential in security and political circles in Iran.

“US-Israel-Iran War Latest Update:The realization of the deaths of Ali Larijani in an airstrike in Tehran has put Iran in a strategic position in its political and security leadership”

The Sunday Guardian

2. Why is Jalili being considered after Larijani’s death? His vast experience in the position of national security and diplomacy makes him one of the most promising applicants to replace the leadership gap.

3. What was Jalili’s role in nuclear negotiations? Between 2007 and 2013 he chaired negotiations with the Western powers, and was often intractable due to the approach that was very strict and methodical, as well as to the 2015 nuclear deal.

4. What is Jalili’s background? Saeed Jalili was born in 1965, in Mashhad and has fought in the Iran-Iraq War, has a PhD and has taught political science as he ascended the hierarchy of Iranian politics.

5. How could Jalili’s leadership affect Iran? He can take a tougher approach to home security and international policy and unifying the conservative wing and making the region more tense.

Disclaimer:This article is based on publicly available information and analysis.

It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute official advice, endorsement or insider knowledge.

The Sunday Guardian

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