Saeed Jalili

Saeed Jalili (Persian: سعید جلیلی‎; born September 1965) is an Iranian conservative politician and diplomat who was secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 2007 to 2013. He was also Iran's nuclear negotiator. He was previously deputy foreign minister for European and American Affairs. Jalili was an unsuccessful candidate in the June 2013 presidential election, placing third.

Saeed Jalili
Jalili before 2013 presidential election
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council
In office 20 October 2007 – 10 September 2013
President	Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded by	Ali Larijani
Succeeded by	Ali Shamkhani
Chief Nuclear Negotiator of Iran
In office 21 October 2007 – 5 September 2013
President	Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Deputy	Ali Bagheri
Preceded by	Ali Larijani
Succeeded by	Javad Zarif
Personal details
Born	(1965-09-01) 1 September 1965 Mashhad, Iran
Nationality	Iranian
Political party	Front of Islamic Revolution Stability
Spouse(s)	Fatemeh Sajjadi ( m. 1993) [1]
Children	Sajjad (Hamid)
Residence	Lavizan, Tehran[1]
Alma mater	Imam Sadegh University
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Iran
Branch/service	Basij
Unit	5th Nasr Division
Battles/wars	Iran–Iraq War  • Operation Karbala-5  (WIA)

Early life and education

Jalili was born on September 1965 in Mashhad in northeastern Iran.[2] He holds a PhD in political science from Imam Sadeq University and his doctoral thesis is entitled "The Foreign Policy of the Prophet Muhammad."[2] After graduating, he served in the Iran–Iraq War as a member of the Basij volunteers of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.[2][3] During fighting he was injured severely, losing the lower portion of his right leg in 1986.[4][5] Upon this event he earned the title of "living martyr".[6]

Career

Following the war, Jalili began working as a university lecturer at his alma mater. In 1989 Jalili began working at the ministry of foreign affairs in addition to his teaching post.[3] From 1995 to 1996 he served as director of the inspection office at the ministry.[7] In 2001, he was appointed senior director of policy planning in the office of supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.[3] Jalili was also made a member of the Supreme National Security Council in 2002. Following the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the presidency in August 2005, Jalili was appointed deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs.[7] He was in office until October 2007.[8] During the same period he also served as an advisor to Ahmedinejad.[9]

On 20 October 2007, Jalili replaced Ali Larijani as secretary of the council and became responsible for international negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.[8][10] Jalili's term as secretary of the council ended on 10 September 2013 when Ali Shamkhani was appointed to the post.[11] Immediately after leaving the office, he was appointed by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to the Expediency Council as a member.[12]

Views and activities

Jalili is a leading figure of the "neo-principalist" group in the Iranian political scene and a protégé of Mojtaba Khamenei.[9][13] A United States State Department cable released by WikiLeaks in 2008 described how a European Union official who met Jalili call him 'a true product of the Iranian revolution'." Mohammad Marandi, a professor at Tehran University, described Jalili as a tough negotiator who "believes strongly in Iran's nuclear program and its sovereign rights. He's not the sort of person to give major concessions."[14]

In an interview with The Boston Globe in 2006, Jalili defended Iran's plans to develop nuclear energy, noting that, under the Shah and before the Islamic Revolution, US companies had contracts to build nuclear power plants in Iran. In 2013, Jalili stated that the 120 member states of the Non-Aligned Movement have repeatedly expressed support for Iran’s right to a peaceful nuclear energy program.[15]

2013 presidential candidacy

Jalili speaking for his campaign members in Mashhad

See also: 2013 Iranian presidential election

Jalili was a candidate in the 2013 presidential elections, announcing his candidacy on 22 March 2013.[16] He was supported by Front of Islamic Revolution Stability and also by Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, the party's main candidate who declined his candidacy in favor of Jalili. He fared poorly in the presidential election, placing 3rd, despite speculations that he was the favorite candidate of the Supreme Leader. He received 4,168,946 and was ranked third, behind president-elect Hassan Rouhani and runner up Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Electoral history

Main article: Electoral history of Saeed Jalili

Year	Election	Votes	%	Rank	Notes
2004	Parliament				Lost
2008	Parliament				Lost
2013	President	4,168,946	11.31	3rd	Lost

Personal life

Jalili is fluent in English and Persian.[5] He married Fatemeh Sajjadi, a doctor of internal medicine, in 1992. They have one child, a son named Hamid. Jalili was a resident of Karaj until 2004. He is known for his simple living and aversion towards formality. He drives his own car to work.[17]

Books

• Foreign Policy of the Prophet of Islam (Persian: سیاست خارجی پیامبر اسلام‎)
• The Paradigm of Islamic Political Thought in Quran (Persian: بنیان اندیشۀ سیاسی اسلام در قرآن‎)

Influence

In 2009, Jalili was regarded as one of the 500 most influential Muslims by Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.[18]

References

1. "تمام اطلاعات خانوادگی کاندیداهای ریاست جمهوری یازدهم". Isna. 13 January 2014.
2. Saeed Jalili PressTV, 22 May 2013
3. Vatanka, Alex (21 September 2012). "Khamenei and Iran's 2013 elections". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
4. Anti-West Hard-Liner Gains in Iranian Race Thomas Erdbrink, New York Times, 28 May 2013
5. "Biographies of Eight Qualified Candidates for Iran Presidential Election". Iran Review. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
6. Garrett Nada; Helia Ighani (11 June 2013). "Old War Haunts New Election". United State Institute of Peace. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
7. "Iran's approved presidential candidates". CBS News. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
8. "Iran's Top Nuclear Negotiator Ali Larijani Resigns". Fox News. AP. 20 October 2007. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
9. Frederic Wehrey; Jerrold D. Green; Brian Nichiporuk; Alireza Nader; Lydia Hansell; Rasool Nafisi; S. R. Bohandy (2009). "The Rise of the Pasdaran" (PDF). RAND Corporation. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
10. Posch, Walter (November 2007). "Only personal? The Larijani Crisis Revisited" (PDF). Policy Brief (3). Retrieved 17 June 2013.
11. "Rouhani Appointed Former Defense Minister as the Secretary of NSC". Nasim Online. 10 September 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
12. "Jalili appointed to the Expediency Council". Iran Daily Brief. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
13. Sabet, Farzan (June 2013). "The Islamic Republic's political elite and Syria" (PDF). IranPolitik. Archived from the original (Special Report) on 11 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
14. Iran's negotiator – rigid ideologue close to Khamenei Marcus George, Reuters, 25 February 2013
15. Jalili: Iran’s successful resistance against foes due to culture, diplomacy Press TV, 5 June 2013
16. "Potential Candidates". Iran Election Watch. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
17. Biography: Jalili Parssea
18. "The 500 Most Influential Muslims" (PDF). Center of Muslim-Christian Understanding. 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2013.

External links

• Interview with The Boston Globe
• FACTBOX: Iran's new atomic negotiator Saeed Jalili from Reuters
• Iranian Presidential Candidate Saeed Jalili Calls for Enrichment to 100 Percent from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Political offices
Preceded by Ali Larijani	Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council 2007–2013	Succeeded by Ali Shamkhani
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Ali Larijani	Chief Nuclear Negotiator of Iran 2007–2013	Succeeded by Mohammad Javad Zarif