One of Larijani’s most significant appointments was his role as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from August 15, 2005, to October 20, 2007. Appointed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he succeeded Hassan Rouhani in this crucial position. As the Secretary, Larijani was one of the two representatives of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the council, with the other being Hassan Rouhani.In this role, Larijani was the chief negotiator on national security issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. He was known for advocating a pragmatic approach to negotiations, which sometimes put him at odds with President Ahmadinejad’s more hardline stance. His tenure saw significant interactions with international counterparts, including EU official Javier Solana, as they sought to resolve the impasse over Homeland’s nuclear activities.