Tehran mayor, police chief and presidential hopeful: Who is Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, man linked to Trump's Iran negotiator claim

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Mar 23) announced a five-day pause in military strikes on Iran and hinted that he has spoken to a 'top person.' While neither he nor his administration has identified the individual, a report suggests it could be Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Although Ghalibaf is not known to be on Washington’s target list, he has maintained a hardline stance since the conflict began. There is no confirmation that he is the person who engaged with the US, but here’s a closer look at his background and political career.

1. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is a veteran of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has served as the Speaker since 2020. He was recently re-elected to the position in May 2024. Born in 1961 in northeastern Iran, he joined the IRGC in 1980 and quickly rose through ranks during the Iran–Iraq War.
2. Between 1997 to 2000, he became a general and lead IRGC's aerospace division (1997–2000).
3. Interestingly, Ghalibaf has undertaken both military and civilian roles, serving as commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace corps, Tehran police chief, Tehran mayor, and now speaker of parliament. While he has served as the mayor of Tehran for 12 years between 2005–2017, he served as Iran's chief of police between 2000 to 2005.

4. Despite maintaining a hardline stance, he has been projected as a pragmatist and moderniser. Ghalibaf has run for president multiple times - 2005, 2013, 2017, and 2024 - but has not been able to secure the post. During his 2005 presidential campaign, he highlighted his professional background, even appearing in pilot uniform in campaign materials.

5. His career has also been shadowed by various scandals, including the "Yas Holding" embezzlement case and "LayetteGate," where his family was criticized for a luxury shopping trip to Turkey during an Iranian economic crisis.

6. His name is also well documented in various brutal crackdowns in Iran, the most prominent being in 1999 when he participated in street violence on student protests and was among commanders who warned then president Mohammad Khatami to act decisively against demonstrators.

A report by Politico quoted two unnamed sources from the Trump administration and said that Washington is weighing Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad ⁠Bagher Ghalibaf as a potential partner and a future leader. The report added that the White House is not ready to commit to any one person. "He’s a hot option. He’s one of the highest…But we got to test them, and we can’t rush into it," unnamed officials in the report said.

Moreover, US President Donald Trump after announcing five-day halt on Iranian strikes said that there will be a "very serious form of regime change" and added, "We're dealing with some people that I find to be very reasonable, very solid." He did not name anyone. After the war began Trump had hinted that he had three “good options” on who could lead the Islamic Republic. After his announcement, Trump spoke to reporters in Florida and clarified that these negotiations do not involve the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, but rather a 'top person.' "We're dealing with a man who I believe is the most respected and the leader. You know it's a little tough; they've wiped out, we've wiped out everybody," the Republican President added.

A report in The Jerusalem Post, citing sources, claimed that Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf was leading the talks on behalf of Iran. Ghalibaf, however, rejected the claim, saying, “There have been no negotiations with the US, and fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped." He added, "All Iranian officials stand firmly behind their supreme leader and people until this goal is achieved." In another post, he said that Iran is fighting for humanity. “The world is either with Gaza and against this colonial terror regime, or it stands with the Epstein class and child torturers. There is no middle ground,” he added.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.