Ruthless leader and brilliant philosopher: Who is Ali Larijani, Iran's most powerful man?

He orchestrated Iran's massacre of protesters. He is also a philosopher who has written books on Kant. The writings of Ali Larijani, the Islamic Republic's top security official, reveal an elusive and multifaceted figure

Haaretz
75
2 min read
0 views
Ruthless leader and brilliant philosopher: Who is Ali Larijani, Iran's most powerful man?

Current section

  1. Middle East News
Share to FacebookShare to X

Article printing is available to subscribers only

Print in a simple, ad-free format

Subscribe

Comments:

Zen reading is available to subscribers only

Ad-free and in a comfortable reading format

Subscribe

Credit: Louai Beshara / AFP

He orchestrated Iran's massacre of protesters. He is also a philosopher who has written books on Kant. The writings of Ali Larijani, the Islamic Republic's top security official, reveal an elusive and multifaceted figure

Gid'on Lev

06:56 AM • March 14 2026 IST

In June 2009, riots broke out at the University of Tehran in protest against the rigged results of the presidential election held mid-month. At least 12 people were killed. The man then serving as speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani, immediately condemned the security forces' violence against the students. He even visited several of the sites where students had been attacked and wondered how it was possible that young people had been assaulted in their dormitories in the middle of the night. He declared that the law must be respected and that the interior minister should bear responsibility for the events.

Loading...

Click the alert icon to follow topics:

2026 Israel-Iran War

Iran

Iran - U.S.

Comments

Loading...

In the News

In the News:

Israel-Iran War Live UpdatesStrait of HormuzGaza & West BankMichigan SynagogueHind RajabNetanyahuHaQuizHaaretz Podcast

Ali Larijani.

Ruthless Leader, Brilliant Philosopher: Ali Larijani, Iran's Most Powerful Man

IDF leaflets scattered over Beirut on Friday.

IDF Drops Leaflets Over Beirut Urging Residents to Cooperate With Israel

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Herzog in the Knesset last year.

Herzog Says He Expected Netanyahu to Condemn Trump for Calling Him 'Disgrace'

Marchers in a Stop the War in Iran demonstration in New York on Saturday.

If Iran Becomes 'Israel's War,' American Jews May Pay the Price

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Air Force One for travel to Florida on Friday.

Trump: 'U.S. Executed One of the Most Powerful Bombing Raids in Middle East'

POG - POWER OF GIVING  2025

Remembering and rebuilding two years later

ICYMI

פותחת

Khamenei's Chosen Successor Could Offer Trump a 'Dream Deal' to End the Iran War

A missile display at an event in Tehran marking 47 years since the Islamic Revolution, February.

Iran's Arsenal Exposes the Gap Between Netanyahu's Bravado and Reality

מבצע חירם 48

The Truth About Israel's Violent Expulsion of Palestinians in '48 Is Nothing New

An attack on Tehran on Monday.

Hack of Cameras, AI Use: Wide Cyberattack on Iran Preceded Khamenei Killing

Religious Israelis celebrate Purim in an underground parking garage that serves as a bomb shelter amid the war with Iran, on Monday.

Everyone in This Country Has Gone Insane

Nimrod Cohen.

Meeting Sinwar and Joking About Death in Hamas Tunnels: Nimrod Cohen Tells His Story

Original Source

Haaretz

Share this article

Related Articles

Former Israeli fire chief warns of dangers of Iranian cluster bombs, how to stay safe
🇮🇱🇵🇸Israel vs Palestine
The Jerusalem Post

Former Israeli fire chief warns of dangers of Iranian cluster bombs, how to stay safe

Former Fire and Rescue Authority commander Aaron Godiner offered critical safety tips addressing the dangers of cluster munitions, missile shrapnel, and highway safety during a siren.

há aproximadamente 13 horas4 min
MotoGP postpones Qatar Grand Prix due to Middle East conflict
🇮🇱🇵🇸Israel vs Palestine
Al Jazeera English

MotoGP postpones Qatar Grand Prix due to Middle East conflict

The Qatar GP, scheduled for April 10-12, has been rescheduled for November 8 amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

há aproximadamente 14 horas3 min
Activists rally outside White House against war with Iran
🇮🇱🇵🇸Israel vs Palestine
Al Jazeera English

Activists rally outside White House against war with Iran

Activists rally outside White House against war with Iran

há aproximadamente 14 horas1 min
Al-Quds Day rally in Toronto calls for an end to the war in Iran & Lebanon
🇮🇱🇵🇸Israel vs Palestine
Al Jazeera English

Al-Quds Day rally in Toronto calls for an end to the war in Iran & Lebanon

Demonstrators gathered in Toronto for Al-Quds Day, denouncing US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon.

há aproximadamente 14 horas1 min