Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf:
Some analysts have pointed to him as Iran's de facto leader during the war, after the assassinations of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani, who was seen as the Ayatollah's right-hand man, AFP reports.
Ghalibaf is the most talked-about person in terms of who could be a potential U.S. contact. The 64-year-old has threatened the U.S. and its allies with retaliation. Yet he is seen by some in the White House as a viable partner who could lead Iran and negotiate with the Trump administration in the next phase of the war, two sources told Politico.
An Israeli source told Axios that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been in contact with Ghalibaf. However, he has denied reports that talks are ongoing.
President Masoud Pezeshkian:
Pezeshkian has been president of Iran since 2024, taking office after former president Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash.
Pezeshkian is considered part of the more moderate political camp, but despite being president he is not the country's top politician because the supreme leader always has the final say on all important issues.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi:
A seasoned diplomat who was Iran's representative in talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Oman in February.
According to insiders in both the United States and Iran, Araghchi and Witkoff have had direct communication, mainly about how to de-escalate the conflict, reports The New York Times.
Revolutionary Guard Commander-in-Chief Ahmad Vahidi:
He is the third commander-in-chief of Iran's army in less than a year, after two predecessors were killed: Hossein Salami during the Twelve-Day War in June 2025, and Mohammad Pakpour on the first day of the ongoing war, February 28.
Vahidi has not made any public appearances since the outbreak of the war.
Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani:
He became commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in 2020. He was allegedly killed in Lebanon during the war in June 2025 but has since reappeared in public.
Last week, Iranian state media issued the only statement in Qaani's name about the war, predicting that Iran "will soon witness" the "shameful defeat" of its enemies in the war.
