Key Figures and Leaders

Featured Leadership

  • Abolqasem Salavati

    The Judge of Death

    Abolqasem (also spelled ‘Abolghassem’) Salavati is an Iranian judge infamous for violating the human rights of defendants and sentencing them to death or long prison terms on trumped-up charges. He is nicknamed “The Hanging Judge” and “The Judge of Death.”

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  • Shahram Irani

    Artesh Navy Commander

    In August 2021, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Admiral Shahram Irani as the Artesh Navy commander. The Artesh and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) constitute the bifurcated military system in the Islamic Republic.

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  • Who Will Be Iran's Next Supreme Leader?

    Iran’s constitution provides broad guidance on the characteristics sought in candidates for the position of supreme leader. Article 5 stipulates that the ideal individual be: “just, pious, knowledgeable about his era, courageous, a capable and efficient administrator…” Article 109 elaborates that the individual should have “[s]cholarship, as required for performing the functions of religious leader in different fields; required justice and piety in leading the Islamic community; and right political and social perspicacity, prudence, courage, administrative facilities, and adequate capability for leadership.” It’s this conglomerate of religious, administrative, and political qualities that will prove pivotal in determining the right figure for the job.

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  • Dr. Ali Akbar Ahmadian

    Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council

    The appointment of Ali Akbar Ahmadian as the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) signals more continuity than change in the Iranian establishment. He replaces Ali Shamkhani, his former boss, who held the post for around a decade as the second-longest serving SNSC secretary since 1979.

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  • Major General Hossein Salami

    Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

    Major General Hossein Salami has risen through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since its inception after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. He served on the battlefield during the Iran-Iraq War, spent part of his career in the IRGC’s academic establishment, commanded its Air Force, served as its second-in-command, and finally was promoted to the top position as commander-in-chief in 2019.

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  • Ali Baqeri-Kani

    Deputy Foreign Minister

    In September 2021, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian appointed Ali Baqeri-Kani as the director of the Foreign Ministry Political Directorate. His predecessor, Abbas Araqchi, directed the nuclear negotiations that resulted in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).  Baqeri-Kani previously served as a lead nuclear negotiator during Ahmadinejad administration in the late 2000s and early 2010s so is likely to perform a similar role.

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  • Major General Qassem Soleimani

    Former Commander of the IRGC's Quds Force.

    Major General Qassem Soleimani arose from humble origins to become the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, the external expeditionary wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that oversees and carries out intelligence operations, terrorist plots, and unconventional warfare outside of Iran. The Quds Force, whose name refers to Iran’s desire to liberate al-Quds (Jerusalem) from Israeli control, is primarily tasked with spearheading the export of Iran’s Islamic Revolution throughout the Middle East and coordinating the activities of the loyal terrorist proxies and militias that Iran has cultivated around the region.

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  • Mohammad Jafar Montazeri

    Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of Iran

    Mohammad Jafar Montazeri is a 75-year-old mid-ranking cleric and longtime Islamic Republic judiciary official. He was sanctioned by the U.S. in December 2022 and by the U.K. in January 2023. The U.S. Department of the Treasury found that in his former role as prosecutor-general, he played a central role in prosecuting peaceful protesters. The U.K. sanctioned Montazeri in response to the execution of Iran’s former deputy defense minister for foreign affairs, Alireza Akbari, a dual British-Iranian citizen charged with spying. In August 2023, the head of Iran’s judiciary appointed Montazeri as chief judge of Iran’s supreme court for a five-year term. His appointment had the personal backing of Supreme Leader Khamenei. This profile provides an overview of Montazeri’s life and resume, with some concluding remarks on what to expect from him in his new role.

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  • Major General Mohammad Bagheri

    Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces

    Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri is the chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces. The chief of staff is considered the highest ranking military officer in the Islamic Republic and is responsible for the coordination and supervision of Iran’s regular army (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

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  • Mojtaba Khamenei: The Supreme Leader’s Gatekeeper & Guardian

    Mojtaba Khamenei

    The Supreme Leader’s Gatekeeper & Guardian

    Mojtaba Khamenei has emerged as an enigmatic but powerful figure in the Iranian system. Mojtaba is the second-eldest son of Ali Khamenei. His power stems not only from his family connection but also from the role he plays in the Office of the Supreme Leader. Mojtaba occupies a similar role to that of Ahmad Khomeini during Ruhollah Khomeini’s supreme leadership—a combination of aide-de-camp, confidant, gatekeeper, and power broker. Mojtaba has become so influential in the Iranian establishment, that some analysts consider him to be a contender to succeed his father as supreme leader.

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