NEED TO KNOW

• Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani publicly rejected negotiations with the U.S. and accused Trump of betraying “America First” for “Israel First”
• The Wall Street Journal reported Larijani quietly reached out through Omani mediators to resume nuclear talks — a claim he flatly denied on social media
• A three-member interim leadership council has been formed to govern Iran after Khamenei’s death, but Larijani may wield more power than the official structure suggests

TEHRAN, IRAN (TDR) — The man emerging as Iran’s most powerful surviving official delivered a blistering public rejection of diplomacy with Washington on Monday, accusing President Donald Trump of “delusional fantasies” and declaring that Tehran will not negotiate with the United States.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued the defiant message in a string of posts on X — even as contradictory reports from The Wall Street Journal suggested he had quietly reached out through Omani intermediaries to restart the very nuclear talks that collapsed when U.S. and Israeli strikes began Saturday.

“Trump plunged the region into chaos with his ‘delusional fantasies’ and now fears more American troop casualties.” — Ali Larijani

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The contradictory signals — public defiance paired with reported private outreach — offer a window into how Iran’s shattered leadership is attempting to navigate both domestic survival and international pressure in the aftermath of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei‘s assassination.

Who Is Ali Larijani — And Why Does He Matter Now?

Larijani is not a name most Americans would recognize, but understanding his role is essential to grasping what comes next in Iran. The 67-year-old is a former IRGC commander, former parliament speaker, former chief nuclear negotiator and a member of one of Iran’s most prominent clerical families. He was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in August — the body that coordinates Iran’s defense, nuclear and regional security strategy.

What makes Larijani’s current position so significant is its duality. He was sanctioned by Washington just weeks ago — in January — for his alleged role in directing the deadly crackdown on anti-government protests that rights groups say killed thousands. The U.S. Treasury called him “one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.”

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Yet he was simultaneously leading Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the United States and was considered by analysts a pragmatist capable of striking deals.

“In my view, this issue is resolvable. If the Americans’ concern is that Iran should not move toward acquiring a nuclear weapon, that can be addressed.” — Ali Larijani, speaking on Oman state television in February

That was Larijani just weeks ago. On Monday, the tone could not have been more different.

The Public Message: Defiance and Consolidation

Within hours of the strikes that killed Khamenei on Saturday, Larijani moved to establish a provisional governing structure, announcing on state television that an interim leadership council would assume the supreme leader’s duties. The three-member council — President Masoud Pezeshkian, Supreme Court Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and Guardian Council member Ayatollah Alireza Arafi — was constituted by Sunday under Article 111 of Iran’s constitution.

Larijani himself is not on the council. But analysts say his influence extends well beyond the official structure. He accused Washington and Tel Aviv of seeking to “plunder and disintegrate” Iran and warned internal “secessionist groups” that any action would face severe consequences — a message aimed at ethnic minorities and opposition movements Trump has encouraged to rise up.

“TRUMP HAS BETRAYED ‘AMERICA FIRST’ TO ADOPT ‘ISRAEL FIRST.'” — Ali Larijani, via X

He further declared that Iran has prepared for a long war and accused Trump of sacrificing “American treasure and blood” to advance Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s “illegitimate expansionist ambitions.”

The Private Signal: Backchannel Reports Contradict Public Posture

The public defiance stands in tension with Wall Street Journal reporting that Larijani quietly reached out to Oman — the same country that mediated three rounds of indirect nuclear talks — to express interest in resuming negotiations after days of devastating airstrikes.

Trump appeared to confirm the reports in an interview with the Atlantic on Sunday: “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them.” A White House official separately confirmed that Iran’s “new potential leadership” had signaled openness to dialogue.

Larijani directly reposted a summary of the WSJ article with a one-line rebuttal: “We will not negotiate with the United States.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi struck a more nuanced tone. He was bitter about the strikes during active negotiations but did not completely close the door to future talks, telling ABC News that the U.S. had attacked Iran “in the middle of negotiation” twice in the past year, calling it “a very bitter experience.”

What This Means for the Conflict’s Trajectory

The contradiction between Larijani’s public posture and the reported backchannel contacts is consistent with how Iran’s leadership has historically operated — projecting strength domestically while keeping diplomatic channels discreetly open.

But the leadership vacuum complicates any path to negotiation. CIA assessments presented to the White House before the strikes concluded that if Khamenei were killed, he would likely be replaced by hard-line IRGC figures or equally hard-line clerics — not reformers. U.S. officials remain skeptical that regime change is achievable in the near term.

“The two most likely outcomes for Iran are the imposition of an even more ruthless regime controlled by the security apparatus or a fragmentation of the country.” — Daniel Brumberg, Arab Center Washington DC

The 88-member Assembly of Experts must eventually convene to select a new supreme leader, but no timeline has been announced. Meanwhile, the IRGC — which lost its own commander-in-chief in the strikes — is pressing for a swift appointment of permanent leadership. Larijani, described by multiple outlets as the de facto power behind the scenes, may ultimately shape that selection more than anyone on the official council.

For Washington, the question becomes whether to negotiate with a man it sanctioned for human rights abuses weeks ago — and whether Larijani’s public defiance is genuine conviction or political positioning within a system where any perceived weakness toward America could prove fatal.

When the person most likely to shape Iran’s next chapter is a sanctioned official who publicly rejects talks while reportedly seeking them privately — does the U.S. have a credible negotiating partner, or just the appearance of one?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from Al Jazeera, Asharq Al-Awsat, The Washington Times, Breitbart, reporting by Reuters, Common Dreams, Stabroek News, Republic World, WION News, IBTimes UK, and Al Jazeera’s analysis of Iran’s post-Khamenei power structure.

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