Ali Larijani Masterminded the Massacre says Former Official

According to a former Islamic Republic official, speaking to IranWire through a traveler, Ali Larijani - the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council - has been at the center of the January 2026 crackdown. The source says Larijani is positioning himself for the post-Khamenei era, using his close ties with IRGC commanders and intelligence agencies, along with his family’s connections to senior clerics, to build support across different factions and prepare to lead the system after Khamenei’s death.

Larijani comes from a powerful clerical family. His father, Mirza Hashem Amoli, was a well-known Shia Grand Ayatollah and a leading figure at the Qom Seminary before the Revolution. His eldest brother, Mohammad Javad Larijani, served as a senior diplomat and Deputy Foreign Minister, while his younger brother, Sadeq Larijani, is a seminary professor in Qom and a former Chief Justice of the Islamic Republic. Sadeq Larijani is frequently mentioned as a possible successor to Khamenei.

Khamenei has never shown decisive support for Ali Larijani, who was even disqualified from running in several presidential elections. However, according to the former official, who remains in contact with Larijani’s team, it appears that following the failure of the Ahmadinejad experience and the inability of the hardline “Paydari” (Resistance) faction to attract broad support, Khamenei is now backing Larijani’s plans to consolidate various groups within the system and deal decisively with opponents.

According to IranWire’s source, Larijani sees his approach as resembling the security, cultural, and economic policies pursued by Deng Xiaoping in China during the 1980s. The source says the killings of protesters in January 2026 were modeled on the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, when the Chinese military is believed to have killed between 3,000 and 10,000 protesters - an event that still serves as a warning to opponents of the Chinese government.

At the same time as the crackdown, Larijani is said to believe in cultural and economic reforms and diplomatic engagement, much like the reforms implemented in China. It is likely that in the coming months, while severe repression of protesters continues, more cultural and economic freedoms will be granted to the public, and the regime will attempt to engage more effectively with regional and neighboring governments.

The source states that both Khamenei and Larijani believe Abbas Araghchi has performed well in diplomatic matters, particularly regarding nuclear negotiations. Contrary to recent rumors, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Hassan Rouhani are not under arrest; rather, they remain in contact with the Supreme Leader, the Supreme National Security Council, and Mr. Larijani on security and diplomatic affairs. Araghchi continues to seek Zarif’s assistance in diplomatic matters.

The regime’s diplomats believe that the killings in Gaza have shifted public opinion in Western countries, particularly in the United States, in ways that are less supportive of Israel. They see this as a chance to widen divisions between Washington and Tel Aviv and reshape public opinion in the regime’s favor. According to the source, millions of dollars have been poured into pro-regime propaganda and the recruitment of influencers. A group of Western influencers is expected to be invited to Iran to view what authorities describe as evidence of the “crimes of anti-regime terrorists and Mossad spies.”

According to this informed source, the success or failure of Larijani’s plan depends on the next moves of the opposition and the policies of the U.S. and Israel toward the Islamic Republic. However, at present, Larijani is the only individual whose long-term plan for the survival of the Islamic Republic is supported by Ali Khamenei.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) is the country’s highest decision-making body on security and defense, operating within the framework defined by the Supreme Leader. It coordinates domestic and foreign security policy, oversees responses to internal and external threats, and plays a central role in shaping strategic issues, including Iran’s nuclear policy.

The council is chaired by the president and includes the speaker of parliament, the head of the judiciary, the chief of the armed forces, commanders of the IRGC and the regular army, and the ministers of foreign affairs, interior, and intelligence, as well as the head of the budget organization and two representatives of the Supreme Leader. The council’s secretary runs daily operations, sets agendas, coordinates among security institutions, drafts decisions, and ensures their implementation under the supervision of the president and the Supreme Leader.