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In a move laden with political symbolism and calculated ambiguity, the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reinstated veteran regime insider Ali Larijani as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). The decision comes amid mounting internal discord, international isolation, and the looming threat of renewed United Nations sanctions.
Larijani, who previously held the position between 2005 and 2007, replaces IRGC figure Ali Akbar Ahmadian at a time when the regime faces its most acute legitimacy crisis in decades. His return to the post is widely interpreted as an attempt by Khamenei to recalibrate the regime’s posture without making substantive concessions, especially on the nuclear file.
The appointment follows the Israeli attack in June on a high-level SNSC meeting, which reportedly targeted senior Iranian security officials. While the regime has downplayed the incident, the reshuffle indicates a strategic response. Former Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi called the change “meaningful and productive,” linking it explicitly to the aftermath of the Israeli strikes. Yet the deeper context points to Tehran’s desperation to preserve internal cohesion and deflect external pressure.
#Iran News: Regime Forms New “Defense Council” Amid Post-War Security Collapsehttps://t.co/gFDemqiTmt
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 2, 2025
Messaging Without Movement
Larijani’s reentry into the upper echelons of national security is designed to project a message of moderation and pragmatism to both internal and external audiences. As the former Speaker of Parliament and one-time nuclear negotiator, he is viewed as a more diplomatic figure compared to extremist figures like his predecessor or Saeed Jalili, who continues to serve on the SNSC as Khamenei’s other representative.
The move comes just as the E3 (France, Germany, and the UK) weigh the activation of the snapback mechanism under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which would reinstate sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal. Larijani’s appointment appears timed to signal, at least superficially, a willingness for dialogue — a move likely to be interpreted by some Western officials as an opening for renewed engagement with Tehran.
But the regime has shown no intention of scaling back uranium enrichment or curbing its ballistic missile program. In recent weeks, senior Iranian officials have openly stated they have no intention of cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency or making any concessions. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the current engagement with Tehran as “talks about whether we can even talk.”
Larijani’s Trip Signals #Iran Regime’s Desperation to Maintain Control in #Lebanon and Syriahttps://t.co/A9pti7HAN8
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 21, 2024
Intra-regime Infighting
The appointment has reignited fierce rivalries within the regime. Saeed Jalili, a hardline rival of Larijani, issued a veiled rebuke likening renewed calls for diplomacy to “calf worship” — a reference to the biblical account of the Israelites turning to a golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai. In Jalili’s analogy, Khamenei’s current absence from public view due to security fears mirrors Moses’s temporary departure and engaging with the West during this period is portrayed as a betrayal of revolutionary principles. His allies have amplified this narrative, accusing the new government under President Masoud Pezeshkian of enabling a “shadow presidency” led by Larijani.
The backlash illustrates the volatility within Iran’s ruling elite. Former parliamentary security chief Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh warned that the appointment sends a mixed signal abroad and exposes a vacuum of strategic direction at home. Fazel Meybodi dismissed any notion of reform, saying, “Changing the secretary of the SNSC is not a change in course.”
Even family members of top officials have weighed in. The son of Pezeshkian criticized the rival faction’s rhetoric, rejecting comparisons between diplomacy and idolatry, and reiterated that all decisions are ultimately vetted by the Supreme Leader.
Iran Presidential Election 2021: Who is Ali Larijani?#Iran #BoycottIranShamElections #IranRegimeChange #MyVoteRegimeChange #رای_من_سرنگونی #آری_به_جمهوری_دمکراتیک pic.twitter.com/vJWKsS5mxy
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 20, 2021
Strategic Incoherence
Ali Larijani’s record offers little optimism for genuine change. During his previous SNSC tenure, his approach to nuclear negotiations was confrontational, contributing to the case’s referral to the UN Security Council. Although perceived as “a moderate” in some circles who promote the policy of appeasement with Tehran, Larijani has consistently defended the regime’s core security doctrines, including repression at home and militancy abroad.
His recent secretive trip to Moscow, where he met with President Vladimir Putin, was interpreted as groundwork for his political return. Regime media described him as a “special envoy” carrying Tehran’s strategic vision for the region. While details remain vague, the visit underscores his alignment with the regime’s eastward tilt and distrust of Western diplomacy.
Meanwhile, despite the extensive damage inflicted by U.S. strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in June 2025, Iranian officials have vowed to rebuild the destroyed facilities and resume operations. The IAEA has reported continued restrictions on its inspectors’ access and an absence of substantive cooperation from Tehran.
The influential parliament speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday: #Iran is facing "chronic challenges" that existed long before US sanctions were reimposed.
Larijani said: "External factors do affect our economy, but there are problems persisting from before," pic.twitter.com/47uRHwj6se— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 4, 2018
Ali Larijani’s reinstatement is not about moderation at all, it’s fundamentally about managing the regime’s image of survival. As Khamenei attempts to stabilize his regime amid unprecedented political, social, and strategic pressures, the gesture is aimed more at delaying international consensus on renewed sanctions than at launching meaningful reforms.
Far from indicating a new direction, the appointment reveals an embattled regime reshuffling familiar figures in a bid to disguise stagnation as flexibility. The clerical leadership hopes that symbolic gestures will be enough to sway Western capitals away from accountability. But without concrete policy shifts, such moves are unlikely to prevent further international isolation or quell the unrest brewing within Iran itself.