Ali Larijani presided over the last session of Iran’s tenth parliament on May 21, officially putting an end to his speakership career, which lasted 12 consecutive years, making him the longest-serving speaker in the history of the Islamic Republic. Larijani’s closing speech was a rosy portrayal of the outgoing parliament and a fiery counterattack against critics, who have long accused the assembly of incompetence.

Ever since his announcement last December not to run for the new parliament, Larijani has left Iranian observers wondering where he would go next. Addressing the question, he continued to keep his books closed to the public, telling state TV as recently as last week, “I will return to my first home — academia.” (He will be teaching philosophy.)

Those comments, however, have not ended speculations about a man who has been in the top echelons of power for four decades. Among the sensitive positions in Larijani’s portfolio was the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), the influential body of 12 senior officials in charge of vital national security decisions dealing with Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty. Back in 2005, Larijani was appointed to the post at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and the West over Iran’s controversial nuclear program. Larijani led several rounds of marathon talks with European officials in an effort to resolve the standoff. Nevertheless, his mission remained inconclusive in 2007 after he resigned amid growing differences with hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who pushed an anti-West agenda that prompted multiple international sanctions against the Islamic Republic.   

Thirteen years on, a return by Larijani to the SNSC is subject to a heated debate. Ultraconservative Fars News Agency has reported that pushes are being made for Larijani’s appointment to the same chair. Under the Iranian Constitution, the SNSC secretary is picked by the sitting president after receiving the green light from the supreme leader.