A look at Iran’s key political and religious figures
Feb 28, 2026, 11:53 AM | Updated: Mar 1, 2026, 12:30 am
FILE - This combo of file photos show Iran's key political and religious figures, top row, from left, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Khamenei Adviser on Public Policy Ali Larijani, Chief Justice Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, Head of Assembly Experts Mohammad-Ali Movahedi Kermani and Secretary of Guardian Council Ahmad Jannati, bottom row, from left, Khamenei's Chief of Staff Mohammad Golpayegani, Khamenei Adviser on International Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati, Khamenei Adviser on Foreign Policy Kamal Kharazi, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Tehran Friday Prayer Imam Ahmad Khatami and Son of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. (AP Photo/File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/File)
The U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on U.S. President Donald Trump called on the Iranian public to “seize control of your destiny” by rising up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.
After assassinating several top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei could be next, and that doing so could topple Tehran’s entire leadership.
There was no immediate information on whether top Iranian officials were killed. Even if Iran’s top leaders were killed, regime change is not guaranteed.
Here is a look at Iran’s top political and spiritual leaders.
In 1989, Khamenei became Iran’s supreme leader after the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Khamenei played an important role in the movement that overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the 1979 revolution.
The 86-year-old Khamenei is Iran’s commander-in-chief, who has the final say on all policy and religious matters. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, the force that safeguards the Islamic Republic, answers directly to him.
Khamenei has been in charge during previous crackdowns on protesters in Iran. He recently said Iran was ready to retaliate against any American attack.
One of the first strikes Saturday hit near Khamenei’s offices. It wasn’t immediately clear where Khamenei was at the time; he hadn’t been seen for days.
The president of Iran is broadly seen as a reformist. A former heart surgeon, Pezeshkian took office on July 28, 2024. The president is the second-highest ranking official in Iran, acting as the head of government that handles daily administration, economic policy and implements the Supreme Leader’s decrees.
Iranians elect a president and parliament for four-year terms.
Iran’s foreign minister is a longtime diplomat and was a key negotiator in the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal. He was appointed on August 21, 2024.
Days before Saturday’s attack, Araghchi warned that a conflict with the U.S. would be “a devastating war” and reiterated Tehran’s interest in a peaceful solution ahead of this week’s high-stakes talks.
Larijani hails from one of Iran’s most famous political families. A former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser, he was appointed to advise Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration.
In January, the U.S. imposed a new round of sanctions against Iranian officials, including Larijani, who were accused of repressing nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocratic government.
The U.S. Treasury Department accused him of being one of the first officials to call for violence against Iranian protesters.
A conservative jurist and hard-line prosecutor, Mohseni Ejehi has been chief justice since 2021. He is widely regarded as a Khamenei loyalist.
Mohseni Ejehi was quoted by state media in January as saying that there would be “no leniency” for those behind the wave of unrest.
Movahedi Kermani is the head of the 88-seat clerical body responsible for appointing the next Supreme Leader. The Assembly of Experts is Iran’s version of the Vatican’s College of Cardinals.
Jannati is the de facto leader of Iran’s Guardian Council, a 12-member body that vets candidates for office as well as legislation, and rules out individuals it believes are incompatible with Iran’s Islamic theocratic system. It consists of six Islamic theologians and six legal experts.
The council can disqualify presidential candidates who are perceived as not being aligned with the Supreme Leader.
Golpayegani is an Islamic cleric and longtime confidante of Khamenei. He heads the Supreme Leader’s office.
A physician by training, Velayati was previously Iran’s foreign minister, and is a top adviser to Khamenei on international affairs. He is involved in the country’s nuclear policy.
Kharazi is a trusted adviser to Khamenei on foreign policy, especially during the recent nuclear talks with Washington.
A former diplomat and foreign minister, Kharazi previously represented Iran at the United Nations. He has held numerous governmental, diplomatic and academic posts.
Aref is considered the highest-ranking reformist in the executive branch of Iran’s government. He serves as the primary deputy to the president and leads cabinet meetings when the president is absent. He liaises between the president and parliament.
A former mayor of Tehran and Revolutionary Guard general, Ghalibaf was re-elected parliamentary speaker on May 27, 2025. He is a conservative politician who was linked to student crackdowns in 1999 and 2003.
Khatami belongs to Iran’s 12-member Guardian Council and is an influential prayer leader and religious figure loyal to the Supreme Leader. He is a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts and has long been known for his hard-line views.
In January, Khatami called for the death penalty for protesters detained in a nationwide crackdown, and described those taking part in the unrest as “butlers” of Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers.”
Khamenei’s second-eldest son is a mid-ranking cleric and the Supreme Leader’s rumored successor. He has close ties with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Mojtaba served in the armed forces during the Iran-Iraq war, and is said to wield influence behind the scenes as his father’s gatekeeper.
