History of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Timeline
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is an Iranian politician and former military officer. He currently serves as the speaker of the Parliament of Iran, a position he has held since 2020. A Principlist figure, Ghalibaf previously served as a member of the Expediency Discernment Council (2017-2020) and as the mayor of Tehran (2005-2017). His earlier career includes roles as the chief of Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2000-2005) and commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (1997-2000). He remains a controversial figure within Iranian politics.
2 hours ago : Trump Confirms US Negotiations with Iran's Ghalibaf Amidst Tensions and Potential Talks.
Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. is communicating with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker. Ghalibaf, a hardliner, is reportedly Tehran's point man for talks, despite past threats against US forces.
August 1961: Ghalibaf's Birth
In August 1961, Ghalibaf was born in Torqabeh, near Mashhad, in the province of Razavi Khorasan.
August 1961: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's Birth
On August 1961, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was born.
1968: Zahra Sadat Moshir's Birth
In 1968, Zahra Sadat Moshir was born. She later became an advisor and head of women's affairs in the Municipality of Tehran.
1982: Chief Commander of the Imam Reza Brigade
In 1982, Ghalibaf became the chief commander of the Imam Reza Brigade.
1982: Marriage to Zahra Sadat Moshir
In 1982, Ghalibaf married Zahra Sadat Moshir when he was 21 years old.
1983: Chief Commander of Nasr Division
From 1983 to 1984, Ghalibaf was chief commander of the Nasr Division.
1984: Chief Commander of Nasr Division
From 1983 to 1984, Ghalibaf was chief commander of the Nasr Division.
1984: Head of Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters
In 1984, Ghalibaf was appointed head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters, which is the engineering arm of the IRGC.
1996: Commander of the IRGC Air Force
In 1996, Ali Khamenei appointed Ghalibaf commander of the IRGC Air Force.
1996: Received Degree of Major General
In 1996, Ghalibaf received the degree of Major General after completing a master's degree in geopolitics.
1997: Commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
In 1997, Ghalibaf became the commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
1998: Commander of Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
In 1998, Ghalibaf was named Commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps when Yahya Rahim Safavi took over as IRGC's new commander-in-chief.
July 1999: Ghalibaf and the 1999 Student Protests
During the July 1999 student protests, Ghalibaf, as commander of the IRGC Air Force, signed a threatening letter to President Mohammad Khatami and later admitted to personally participating in violence against protesters.
1999: Threatening Letter to President Mohammad Khatami
During the 1999 student protests, Ghalibaf, as commander of the Revolutionary Guards Air Force, was one of the 24 IRGC commanders who sent a threatening letter to President Mohammad Khatami, which was interpreted as a threat to the presidency.
1999: Appointed Chief of Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Following the 1999 protests, Ghalibaf was appointed chief of the Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran by Ali Khamenei. He then initiated some reforms in the forces.
1999: Commander Dismissed Following Student Protests
In 1999, the previous commander was dismissed following the 1999 student protests.
2000: Chief of Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran
In 2000, Ghalibaf became the chief of Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
October 2002: Announcement of Moral Security Plan
In October 2002, Ghalibaf announced that he would present the moral security plan, emphasizing the responsibility of law enforcement and other institutions in defining and enforcing moral security against violators.
2002: Comment on Siamak Pourzand’s Arrest
In 2002, Ghalibaf commented on Siamak Pourzand’s arrest, stating Pourzand was involved in anti-cultural activities and supplying Reza Pahlavi with information, which led to the matter being raised with Mr. Khatami.
2002: Representative of President Mohammad Khatami
In 2002, Ghalibaf was appointed as Representative of President Mohammad Khatami during a campaign to combat smuggling.
2002: Summoning of Intellectuals and Journalists
In 2002, under Ghalibaf, the police summoned dozens of intellectuals, journalists, political activists, news website managers, and bloggers for interrogation or temporary detention, leading to protests from the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Writers' Association.
2003: Presidential Election Debates
During the 2003 presidential election debates, the issue of plainclothes officers confronting students and the attack on the Tarsht dormitory was raised between Qalibaf and Hassan Rouhani.
2003: Ghalibaf's Involvement in Student Demonstration Crackdown
In 2003, as Chief of the National Police, Ghalibaf was involved in the crackdown on student demonstrations at Tehran University and later boasted of ordering the use of gunfire against protesters.
2004: Comment on Moral Security
In 2004, Ghalibaf commented on moral security, stating that the political significance of improper hijab may outweigh its moral significance and emphasized the need to distinguish between proper and improper hijab based on regulations.
2004: Summoning of Intellectuals and Journalists
In 2004, under Ghalibaf, the police summoned dozens of intellectuals, journalists, political activists, news website managers, and bloggers for interrogation or temporary detention, leading to protests from the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Writers' Association.
April 2005: Resignation from Military Positions
On April 5, 2005, Ghalibaf submitted his resignation from the military positions, including the police forces, due to his intention to run for the presidency of Iran.
September 2005: Elected as Tehran's Mayor
In September 2005, Ghalibaf was elected as Tehran's mayor by the City Council of Tehran.
September 2005: Ghalibaf Elected Mayor of Tehran
In September 2005, Ghalibaf was elected as the Mayor of Tehran by the City Council, succeeding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with 8 out of 15 votes.
2005: Ghalibaf's Presidential Candidacy
In 2005, Ghalibaf ran for president in the Iranian presidential election, and came in fourth. He made a populist appeal during the campaigns.
2005: Presidential Election Candidate
In the 2005 presidential election, Ghalibaf was a candidate, finishing fourth with 14% of the vote.
2007: Ghalibaf Reelected as Mayor
In 2007, Ghalibaf was reelected for a second term as Mayor of Tehran after receiving 12 votes with no opponent.
October 2008: Ghalibaf Supports Dialogue with the United States
On 13 October 2008, Ghalibaf announced his support for dialogue with the United States as suggested by Barack Obama, stating that both countries would benefit from such talks.
2009: Ghalibaf's Administration and the Green Movement
During the 2009 Green Movement, Ghalibaf's administration as Mayor of Tehran provided logistical support for the security crackdown, with Ghalibaf defending the use of force.
July 2012: Ghalibaf Announces Candidacy
On 16 July 2012, Ghalibaf officially announced that he would take part in the presidential elections in June 2013.
May 2013: Threat to Crush Dormitory Protesters
In a May 2013 report on the Kalameh website, an audio recording of Qalibaf revealed his threat to allow law enforcement forces to enter universities and use force, stating he would 'crush' anyone who comes to the dormitory to do these things.
May 2013: Ghalibaf's Candidacy Approved
On 21 May 2013, Ghalibaf's candidacy was approved by the Guardian Council along with seven other candidates for Iranian presidential election. He formed a coalition called '2+1'.
September 2013: Ghalibaf Reelected as Mayor of Tehran
On 8 September 2013, Ghalibaf was elected as Mayor of Tehran for another term after defeating Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani in a runoff with 51.6% of the votes.
2013: Soleimani Reportedly Voted for Ghalibaf
During the 2013 Iranian presidential election, Soleimani reportedly voted for Ghalibaf, who represented IRGC veterans' interests, against Hassan Rouhani, who won.
2013: Leaked audio revealed Ghalibaf's participation in violence against protestors
In a leaked 2013 audio recording, Ghalibaf admitted to personally participating in street-level violence, stating he was beating protestors with wooden sticks.
2013: Presidential Election Candidate
In the 2013 presidential election, Ghalibaf was a candidate, finishing second to Hassan Rouhani with 17% of the vote.
2013: Ghalibaf recounts using gunfire against protestors
In the leaked 2013 recording, Ghalibaf boasted of bypassing National Security Council protocols to order the use of gunfire against protestors.
2014: Widespread Violations by Tehran Municipality
In 2014, reports outlined widespread violations by the Tehran Municipality, including payments to Imam Reza Charity owned by Ghalibaf’s wife, secret bank accounts, judiciary debt to the municipality, demand from Revolutionary Guards Cooperative Foundation, and the purchase and sale of a metro station.
January 2016: Plasco Building Fire
In January 2016, a massive fire broke out at the Plasco building in Tehran, leading to its collapse. The Tehran Municipality, under Ghalibaf's leadership, faced accusations of negligence and crisis mismanagement following the incident.
March 2016: Failed Investigation of Tehran Municipality
In March 2016, some members of parliament initiated a plan to investigate the Tehran Municipality, but they failed to secure the necessary votes, and Qalibaf thanked the parliamentarians for rejecting the investigation.
September 2016: Municipal Properties Scandal
In September 2016, Shargh newspaper reported on the transfer of municipal properties to city managers at discounted prices. This report led to imprisonment of the Memari News website editor after being sued by Ghalibaf, highlighting the alleged waste of public resources.
2016: Investigation Planned and Halted
In 2016, an investigation was planned to examine the performance of the Tehran Municipality during Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's tenure as mayor, but it was halted due to opposition from parliament members, with allegations of a 65 billion tomans bribe being used to stop the investigation.
January 2017: Allegations of Misuse of Funds
In January 2017, Mohammad Ali Najafi stated that Ghalibaf signed contracts worth 1.43 billion tomans, but only a fraction went to the company, with the rest allegedly used for election purposes.
May 2017: Withdrawal from Presidential Election
On May 15, 2017, Ghalibaf withdrew from the 2017 election in favor of Ebrahim Raisi's candidacy.
2017: Criticism during 2017 presidential campaign
During Ghalibaf's 2017 presidential campaign, he criticized a former minister for traveling to Italy to purchase baby clothes.
2017: Member of the Expediency Discernment Council
From 2017, Ghalibaf was a member of the Expediency Discernment Council.
2017: Yas Holding Company Scandal
In 2017, Ghalibaf was accused of using his influence to cover up corruption scandals involving the Yas Holding Company during his term as mayor.
2020: Speaker of the Parliament of Iran
In 2020, Ghalibaf became the speaker of the Parliament of Iran.
2020: Elected as Speaker of Iran Parliament
In 2020, Ghalibaf was elected as the new Speaker of Iran Parliament after the conservative Principlists regained the majority in the legislature.
April 2022: "LayetteGate" Scandal
In April 2022, a scandal known as "LayetteGate" or "SismuniGate" arose after photos surfaced of Ghalibaf's wife and family returning from a luxury shopping trip in Turkey with 20 pieces of luggage, leading to calls for his resignation.
2022: Leaked Audio Recording on Yas Holding Scandal
In early 2022, a leaked audio recording was published by Radio Farda, which purported to show officials discussing Ghalibaf's efforts to cover up the Yas Holding Company scandal.
February 2024: Ghalibaf's Son's Residency Application Refused
In February 2024, the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, announced that the permanent residency application of Eshagh Ghalibaf, son of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, was refused.
June 2024: Ghalibaf's Candidacy Approved for the 2024 Election
In June 2024, Ghalibaf's candidacy for the 2024 Iranian presidential election was approved by the guardian council.
2024: Ghalibaf runs for parliamentary election in 2024
Despite scandals, Ghalibaf ran for parliamentary election in 2024 and remained as speaker of the house in Islamic Republic's parliament.
2024: Presidential Election Candidate
In the 2024 presidential election, Ghalibaf was a candidate, coming in third with 14% of the vote.
2025: Response to Iranian Protests
During the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, Ghalibaf called for punishment against protestors whom he described as enemies and terrorists.
February 2026: Ghalibaf Assumed Responsibility for Strategic Decision Making
Following the outbreak of war between Iran, Israel, and the United States on 28 February 2026, Ghalibaf emerged as a powerful figure, assuming responsibility for strategic decision making after the killing of Ali Larijani.
March 2026: Ghalibaf Rejects Negotiations with the US
On 29 March 2026, Ghalibaf rejected the ongoing negotiations with the United States, saying that Iran could not be forced into submission.
2026: Response to Iranian Protests
During the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, Ghalibaf called for punishment against protestors whom he described as enemies and terrorists.
2026: Ghalibaf's Role in the 2025-2026 Iranian Protests
During the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, played a role in the government's response. He publicly characterized the government's measures as a "war against terrorists".
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