Who Is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf? Trump’s ‘hot Option’ To Lead Iran

Weeks aft Iran’s ultimate leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by US-Israeli strikes, Tehran’s early is still unclear.

The Middle Eastern warfare continues to rage pinch nary contiguous extremity successful sight, and Khamenei’s boy and successor Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen successful weeks amid reports he has been injured.

Tehran’s apical information main Ali Larijani and nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij unit commandant Gholamreza Soleimani were both killed successful speedy succession past week.

Donald Trump has claimed Iran wants to make a woody to extremity nan conflict, and claimed US envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner held talks pinch an unnamed Iranian leader connected Sunday.

The Jerusalem Post later reported that nan apical charismatic was Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Ghalibaf denied immoderate specified negotiations person taken place, but reports declare he is being eyed arsenic a imaginable activity successor by Washington arsenic Trump looks for personification he tin woody with.

An unnamed Trump management charismatic told Politico that while nary decisions had been made, nan speaker was a “hot option”.

Below we look astatine each we cognize astir nan politician.

Who is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf?

The 64 year-old erstwhile subject serviceman is considered a hardliner, pinch a revolutionary ideology aligning pinch nan existent authorities and nan slain ultimate leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Currently speaker of Iran’s parliament, a position he was appointed to this year, Ghalibaf is prolific connected societal media for illustration his predecessor successful nan role, Ali Larijani, who went connected to go Iran’s apical information main earlier he was killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected 17 March.

Ghalibaf trim his teeth wrong nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps astatine nan early property of 19, rising quickly to bid a combat section against Iraq by nan property of 22.

Among his different acquisition and accolades are activity of nan sadistic Basij paramilitary unit and activity of nan IRGC’s aerial force.

He led nan crackdown against student protests crossed Iran successful 1999 and boasted astir “wielding sticks” against dissidents.

He was truthful emphatic successful his guidance to nan demonstrations, that he co-authored a missive pinch 24 different IRGC leaders threatening nan then-president Mohammad Khatami to intervene.

Ghalibaf has been mostly associated pinch nan belief asceticism propagated by nan Islamic Republic, which requires aforesaid discipline, elemental surviving and a rejection of indulgence.

However he sparked contention erstwhile his wife, girl and son-in-law were pictured returning from a luxury shopping travel successful Turkey pinch astir 300kg of luggage. The hefty baggage was property to being a “layette” for their newborn kid and was dubbed “LayetteGate” by societal media users.

Several different allegations of corruption person been levied against nan leader including accusations that he utilized his power arsenic a erstwhile IRGC commandant to screen up controversies.

This included nan ungraded astir a institution accused of embezzling an estimated $3bn from Tehran during Ghalibaf’s tenure arsenic politician of nan superior betwixt 2005 and 2017.

He has besides been accused of transferring much than 70,000 quadrate metres of nationalist onshore and thousands of pounds successful assistance to nan Imam Reza Charity, owned by his wife.

The erstwhile ayatollah’s boy Mojtaba Khamenei is reported to beryllium a cardinal advocator for Ghalibaf, shielding him from nan effects of immoderate of nan worst controversies.

However, nan second-eldest boy of nan precocious ayatollah has not been seen successful nationalist for weeks and pinch claims he has has been earnestly injured, he whitethorn not beryllium capable to wield overmuch influence, if any.

Ghalibaf though has not shied distant from aspirations for activity of Iran, having launched respective grounded activity bids for nan presidency successful 2005, 2013 and 2024.