Ghalibaf’s economic vision emphasizes self-reliance, national production, and managerial efficiency within the framework of the Islamic Republic’s ideology. He has frequently criticized both reformists and ultra-hard-liners for failing to address everyday economic problems faced by ordinary. In his early years, he was seen as a war hero and loyal revolutionary. As Tehran mayor, he became known as a modernizer and technocrat, with the slogan “Let’s make Tehran for all.
” During his presidential campaigns, he portrayed himself as a reformer from within the system, emphasizing “efficiency over ideology.” Ghalibaf became one of the senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in later years. In 1984, he was appointed head of the Khatam al-Anbia Construction Headquarters, which is the engineering arm of the IRGC. Under his management, the headquarters launched a 165-kilometer railway connecting Mashhad to Sarakhs.
