After more than a decade as Minister of Interior, Nateq Nouri was elected to the fourth Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) in 1992. The conservative clerical coalition, dominated by the Society of Combatant Clergy, won a sweeping victory, allowing Nouri to be elected Speaker of the Majlis, a position he held for two consecutive terms until 1999.
As Speaker, Nouri worked to consolidate the conservative bloc and strengthen the legislative relationship with Ayatollah Khamenei. His leadership coincided with the early years of President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s “reconstruction era.” Though Rafsanjani favored economic liberalization and pragmatic diplomacy, Nouri represented the more traditionalist clerical faction, wary of rapid social change. Nevertheless, both men maintained a working relationship based on institutional stability.
During his speakership, Nouri also played a key role in shaping Iran’s foreign parliamentary diplomacy. He initiated the formation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union of Islamic Countries (IPUIC) in 1998, aiming to create a forum for cooperation among Muslim-majority states’ legislatures. The organization, still active today, remains one of his lasting achievements.
