Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
With long-standing ambitions, Ghalibaf has reportedly been approached by mediators for negotiations. He has influence in the Revolutionary Guard and a controversial past.
President Donald Trump stated, on Monday, that the United States was with Iran (which denied it), raising hopes of a possible agreement to end the war that began almost four weeks ago.
According to information from Axios, Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey mediated the talks on Sunday. The same three countries also tried to organize for the following day, according to the same North American portal, a call with the president of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibafand his team.
The leadership in Tehran denies any dialogue. Ghalibaf, on the other hand, called the matter “fake news”, with the aim of gaining time and manipulating the financial and oil markets. Is he, however, the “respected Iranian politician”, whose identity Trump did not reveal?
According to , the Trump administration has been discreetly considering Ghalibaf as a possible interlocutor – and even a future leader – as the president signals a shift from military pressure to a negotiated solution.
From the Revolutionary Guard to political influence
Ghalibaf, 64, is a pilot and former commander of the Revolutionary Guard. He received his PhD in political geography, having investigated the relationship between space, power, State and security policy.
When he was a young soldier, he fought in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and built a career within the Revolutionary Guards.
After the war, he became head of the Khatam al-Anbiya construction headquarters, an organization created to rebuild the country under the control of the Revolutionary Guard and which still functions as its economic arm today, bringing together hundreds of subsidiaries and contracted companies.
In 1997, Ghalibaf was appointed by Ali Khamenei commander of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force. Alongside other commanders, he played a decisive role in the 1999 student protests and, together with Qasem Soleimani, signed a threatening letter to then-president Mohammad Khatami, warning the government to stop “tolerating” the demonstrations.
Ghalibaf later stated in interviews that even attacked protesters with batons while riding a motorcycle through the streets. A year later, he became head of the national police.
Corruption accusations
Ghalibaf had political ambitions and ran for president of Iran three times. In 2005, he lost to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then mayor of Tehran. In 2013, he ran again and lost to Hassan Rohani. In 2017, he withdrew his candidacy to support another conservative politician.
Even with his presidential defeats, he held the presidency of the Iranian capital’s chamber between 2005 and 2017.
During this period, many public properties were sold for significantly below market values – in some cases, up to 50% cheaper –, according to the Iranian press. Among the buyers were government officials and members of Ghalibaf’s own family.
There are also reports that Ghalibaf transferred large sums from the municipal budget to the foundation run by his wife, which reportedly provides support to single mothers and women supporting their families.
The functioning of the foundation, however, is not transparent. The accusations were never fully clarified due to Ghalibaf’s closeness to Khamenei. Journalists who investigated the case were sentenced to prison.
Family scandals
In recent years, scandals involving Ghalibaf’s family members have also had repercussions. One of the best known was his son Eshaq’s attempt to obtain permanent residency in Canada.
Since 2019, he had been seeking a decision from the Canadian immigration agency and even initiated legal action to complain about the delay. The attempt sparked debate in Iran, as it seemed incompatible with his father’s anti-Western stance. In the end, the request was refused.
Another controversy involved his daughter and her family’s trip to Türkiye. In 2022, photographs showed their return from Istanbul airport to Tehran with baby products, classified by the press as a “layette kit”. The episode generated strong criticism in a country affected by a persistent economic crisis, sanctions and galloping inflation.
Other candidates under analysis
It is still unclear what the role of this controversial political figure in Iran, seen as influential within the Revolutionary Guards, could be. The fact that, unlike other senior regime officials, he has not been killed in US and Israeli attacks on Iran so far fuels speculation.
Two sources told Politico that the White House wants to test several candidates to lead the countrywhile looking for someone willing to reach an agreement. Publicly, the US government refused to comment, stating that it will not negotiate “sensitive diplomatic discussions through the media”.
The Wall Street Journal reported that thousands of US Marines will be sent to the Middle East on Friday to restore security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said this Thursday that Iran “is begging for a deal”which he also said he wanted, just hours before the end of the ultimatum on attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure.
