Deep down, Ali Larijani always believed that the western powers were bent on destroying Iran’s revolutionary regime, for which he had fought on the battlefield. “Sir, I think you know the answer to that question,” he said, becoming animated and fixing me with a clear-eyed gaze. Finally, his resignation was accepted in October 2007, in what was seen at the time as a sign that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, sided with Ahmadinejad over Larijani. But Larijani – one of five brothers who all occupied prominent roles in the regime – remained firmly within the establishment. Khamenei had put Larijani in charge of crushing the protests, according to reports from inside Iran, a task he fulfilled with ruthless efficiency.

Source: The Guardian March 18, 2026 18:14 UTC