The conservative political factions in Iran have faced many splits. With the death of Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani and Habibollah Asgar Oladi, two influential figures who played a mediator role between the various factions, the conservatives' problems have worsened and they are farther from unity today than ever before. Ali Larijani, the speaker of parliament, is trying to form a broad party to rebuild some unity among conservatives and to maintain his position as speaker while warding off more extreme factions.

Larijani becomes speaker of the parliament

Ali Ardashir Amoli Larijani is the son-in-law of the late Ayatollah Morteza Motahari, who was one of the theorists and main founders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Larijani was an elite student of computer science at Sharif University but following his father-in-law's recommendation, he changed his path to study philosophy. He held many positions in the 1980s, such as deputy chief of staff at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from 1982 to 1992. In 1994, while he was minister of culture, he received Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's commandment to become the chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), which was an important change in his political life.

His time as president of IRIB (1994-2004) spanned the two terms of Reformist Mohammad Khatami's presidency from 1997 to 2005. By the end of Larijani's 10-year period at IRIB — which led to some Reformists' dissatisfaction of him and strengthening of his position among the conservatives — he had become the lead candidate of the conservatives in the 2005 presidential elections.