Ghalibaf is often regarded a perennial candidate in the presidential elections. He was a candidate in the 2013 presidential election but lost to Hassan Rouhani, in second place with 6,077,292 of the votes. He was also a candidate in the 2005 presidential election. Ghalibaf’s career began in the Revolutionary Guard during the –Iraq War, where he commanded the Nasr Division and later became commander of the IRGC Air Force. This experience forged lifelong ties with influential military figures who now occupy key positions in political and economic hierarchy.
These connections provide him with credibility among hard-liners and security elites who view the IRGC as the guardian of revolutionary values. Ghalibaf is considered loyal to Ali Khamenei. His consistent defense of the Islamic Republic’s core institutions and his avoidance of open confrontation with the clerical establishment have helped him maintain favor within the system.
While he is not known to be part of the inner clerical circle, his military background and technocratic persona make him a convenient and trustworthy administrator for the regime’s upper echelons.
