Within the conservative camp, Ghalibaf belongs to the “new right” or “neo-principlist” movement — conservatives who combine revolutionary values with managerial pragmatism. His main rivals within the right include figures like Ebrahim Raisi, Saeed Jalili, and members of the Paydari Front (Steadfastness Front), an ultra-conservative faction that sees Ghalibaf as too pragmatic and politically opportunistic.
Despite these tensions, Ghalibaf has often acted as a unifier, bridging gaps between traditional conservatives and more radical hard-liners. At the age of 19, he was one of the commanders of the defense forces during the homeland–Iraq War. Shortly afterwards he was named commander of the Rasulollah division. By the time he was twenty-two, he was already commander of the Nasr Troops.
