Key Figures and Leaders

Abolqasem (also spelled ‘Abolghassem’) Salavati is an Iranian judge infamous for violating the human rights of defendants and sentencing them to death or long prison terms on trumped-up charges. He is nicknamed “The Hanging Judge” and “The Judge of Death.”

In January 2023, Iran’s Supreme Leader elevated Ahmad-Reza Radan as the commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command (LEC), which is the national police. Radan is a notorious figure, whose career has progressed in tandem with the process of increasing securitization within the Islamic Republic. His ascendance reflects the Iranian system’s desire to suppress the profound revolutionary sentiments among Iranians, and its inability to reform.

In September 2021, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian appointed Ali Baqeri-Kani as the director of the Foreign Ministry Political Directorate. His predecessor, Abbas Araqchi, directed the nuclear negotiations that resulted in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).  Baqeri-Kani previously served as a lead nuclear negotiator during Ahmadinejad administration in the late 2000s and early 2010s so is likely to perform a similar role.

Alireza Zakani is a controversial figure within the Islamic Republic. Known for his brash communicative style, record of corruption, and indecent personal conduct by the regime’s standards, Zakani appears to be too much of a political liability to be elevated to the presidency. However, behind this mixed public persona, Zakani is a ruthless regime hardliner who rose to prominence through the Student Basij Organization (SBO), a notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) militia responsible for violently repressing protests on university campuses and indoctrinating young Iranians. In the last two decades, he has held a prominent role in supporting former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, expressing hardline dissatisfaction over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and cracking down against political dissent. 

Asghar Mir-Hejazi is one of the most influential actors in Iran’s establishment. But he flies under the radar of most Western coverage of Iran. This is because he represents the very essence of Iran’s deep state. Mir-Hejazi’s power stems from the longevity of his closeness to Iran’s supreme leader. His rise through the ranks of Iran’s intelligence community and the Office of the Supreme Leader have wielded him considerable stature in Tehran.