Dr Larijani was an insider of the Islamic Republic’s establishment for decades. Israel had described Dr Larijani as the de facto leader of Iran, a reflection of how much his influence in the Islamic Republic had increased. At the same time, Dr Larijani, ultra-conservative clerics, and hardliner Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf emerged as the country’s top civilian decision makers. “He is a key node that could have helped manage negotiations.”Others dispute whether Dr Larijani would have fulfilled that role. With Dr Larijani gone, “Tehran loses one of the few insiders able to connect the battlefield to politics”, said director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group Ali Vaez.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 18, 2026 14:44 UTC