Iranian Hardliner Ghalibaf Emerges as Potential US Negotiating Partner
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, has historically portrayed himself as a hardliner, yet one the West could potentially do business with. According to a report from Politico, a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has surfaced as a possible contact for talks with the United States, especially as the condition of the new Supreme Leader remains uncertain.
Who is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf?
Born in 1961 in northeast Iran, Ghalibaf is the son of a shopkeeper. Like many young men of his generation, he joined the paramilitary Guard during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, quickly rising through the ranks. A trained pilot, he later served as the head of the Guard's air force and subsequently as the head of Iran's police.
In a leaked recording of a meeting between Ghalibaf and members of the Guard's volunteer Basij force, he claimed he ordered gunfire to be used against demonstrators in 2003. Between 2005 and 2017, he served as mayor of Tehran, during which time he faced corruption allegations, including over around $3.5 million being donated to a foundation run by his wife.
Ghalibaf ran in presidential elections in 2005, 2013, 2017, and 2024, and in 2020, he became speaker of Iran's parliament. He has expressed a desire for the West to change its attitude toward Iran and trust the country, advocating for dialogue to advance issues.
Ghalibaf and the Supreme Leader
Ghalibaf has reportedly had close ties with Mojtaba Khamenei, who recently became Supreme Leader of Iran following the death of his father. US diplomats suggested in a 2008 cable published by WikiLeaks that Mojtaba helped Ghalibaf as an advisor, financier, and provider of senior-level political support. It is possible that Mojtaba Khamenei's elevation to Supreme Leader could boost Ghalibaf's position within the Iranian power structure.
Could Ghalibaf Speak to the Americans?
Politico has reported that US officials might be pinpointing Ghalibaf as a negotiating partner. It is possible that US President Donald Trump will be looking for an Iranian version of Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who replaced ousted leader Nicolas Maduro.
However, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, described reports in Western media as a "political bomb" meant to put the country's leaders in disarray. Tasnim stated that Ghalibaf was introduced as a negotiating party to present a contradictory and non-unified image of Iran, aiming to create internal divisions and provoke conflict among political forces.
Despite this, one US administration official told Politico that Ghalibaf is a "hot option" and one of the highest potential contacts, but emphasized the need to test them and not rush into negotiations. Others have cast doubt on this claim, and it remains unclear what influence Ghalibaf holds in Iran.
