Larijani Vows to Teach US a Lesson

For decades, Ali Larijani has been known as a calm and pragmatic face within Iran’s complex power structure. A scholar of eighteenth-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, he has authored works on Western philosophy and played a key role in negotiating Iran’s nuclear agreements with Western powers.

However, on 1 March, the 67-year-old Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council dramatically shifted his tone. Appearing on state television less than 24 hours after a US and Israeli airstrike killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour, Larijani delivered a fiery address, signalling a new phase in Tehran’s response.

He further declared on social media: “The United States and the Zionist rulers (Israel) have ignited fire in the heart of the Iranian nation. We will burn their hearts. We will compel the Zionist criminals and shameless Americans to regret their actions.” Larijani also asserted, “Iran’s brave soldiers and our great nation will teach the notorious international oppressors a lesson they will never forget.”

He criticised former US President Donald Trump for falling into an “Israeli trap” and now occupies a central role in Iran’s management of the country’s most acute crisis since the 1979 Revolution. Following Khamenei’s death, Larijani is expected to play a key role alongside the interim three-member leadership council in shaping Tehran’s security strategy amid ongoing hostilities with Israel and the United States.

Larijani: Iran’s ‘Kennedy Family’

Born into a prominent religious household, Larijani’s family has long held key positions within Iran’s governance, including members of the Assembly of Experts overseeing the Supreme Leader. Despite the family’s conservative roots, his children have pursued secular academic paths.

Larijani entered the IRGC in the early 1980s, later transitioning into government roles. He served as Minister of Culture (1994–1997) under President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and led the state broadcaster IRIB from 1994 to 2004. From 2008 to 2020, he served three consecutive terms as Speaker of Parliament, playing a pivotal role in domestic and foreign policy, including securing parliamentary approval for the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Returning to security affairs, Larijani was reappointed Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in August 2025. Since then, he has displayed an uncompromising stance, notably cancelling a cooperation agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in October 2025, declaring its reports “no longer valid.”

Despite his hardline public posture, analysts consider him a pragmatic actor within Iran’s political system. He participated in indirect discussions with the United States mediated by Oman in February 2026, stressing that Tehran had received no concrete proposals and accusing Israel of undermining diplomatic efforts to provoke war.

Following the 28 February US-Israel airstrikes, Larijani warned citizens that Iran’s constitutional succession plans remain in place. He emphasised that while Iran does not intend to attack neighbouring countries, any US bases in the region would be monitored. In the current crisis, he vowed to retaliate with a force the United States and Israel “have never seen before.”