View source for Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf

{{Short description|Iranian politician and former pilot}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{lead rewrite|date=May 2013}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2016}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox military person 
| honorific_prefix    = [[Sardar (IRGC)|Sardar]]
| name                = Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
| native_name         = {{No bold|محمدباقر قالیباف}}
| native_name_lang    = fa
| image               = Mohammadbagher Ghalibaf in 2024 (02) (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Ghalibaf in 2024
| allegiance          = Iran
| branch              = [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|Revolutionary Guards]]
| serviceyears        = 1981–2005
| rank                = [[Brigadier general]]
| commands            = {{ubl|[[25th Karbala Division]]|[[Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters|Khatam-al Anbiya HQ]]|[[Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|IRGC Air Force]]| [[Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran|Law Enforcement Force]]}}
| battles             = *[[1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran|1979 Kurdish Rebellion]]
*[[Iran–Iraq War]]
| awards              = {{ubl|[[Order of Fath]] (2nd grade)|[[Order of Fath]] (3rd grade)}}
| module        = {{Infobox officeholder
|embed          = yes
| office1             = 6th [[List of speakers of the Parliament of Iran|Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly]]
| term_start1         = 28 May 2020
| term_end1           = 
| deputy1             = {{Collapsible list|title=First|[[Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi|Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh]]|[[Ali Nikzad]]|[[Abdolreza Mesri]]|[[Hamid-Reza Haji Babaee]]}}
{{Collapsible list|title=Second|[[Ali Nikzad]]|[[Abdolreza Mesri]]|[[Mojtaba Zonnour]]|[[Ali Nikzad]]}}
| predecessor1        = [[Ali Larijani]]
| successor1          = 
| office2             = [[Islamic Consultative Assembly|Member of the Parliament of Iran]]
| term_start2         = 27 May 2024
| term_end2           = 
| constituency2       = [[Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat, Eslamshahr and Pardis]]
| majority2           = 447,905 (28.53%)
| term_start3         = 27 May 2020
| term_end3           = 26 May 2024
| constituency3       = [[Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat, Eslamshahr and Pardis]]
| majority3           = 1,265,287 (68.69%)
| office4             = Member of [[Expediency Discernment Council]]
| term_start4         = 14 August 2017
| term_end4           = 28 May 2020
| appointer4          = [[Ali Khamenei]]
| 1blankname4         = Chairman
| 1namedata4          = {{ubl|[[Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi]]|[[Sadeq Larijani]]}}
| successor4          = [[Ali Larijani]]
| office5             = 43rd [[Mayor of Tehran]]
| term_start5         = 14 September 2005<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayor of Tehran appointed by Minister of Interior |url=http://www.isna.ir/news/8406-10684/ |agency=[[Iranian Students News Agency]] |language=fa |date=14 September 2005}}</ref>
| term_end5           = 27 August 2017
| deputy5             = Issa Sharifi<ref>{{citation|url=https://en.radiofarda.com/a/tehran-former-deputy-mayor-arrested-sharifi-iran/28717297.html|title=Tehran Former Deputy Mayor Arrested On Financial Charges|work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=5 September 2017|access-date=1 December 2017}}</ref>
| predecessor5        = [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]]
| successor5          = [[Mohammad-Ali Najafi]]
| office6             = Head of the Central Headquarters for Combating Goods and Currency Smuggling
| term_start6         = 8 June 2004
| term_end6           = 1 September 2005
| height              = 1.79m
| president6          = [[Mohammad Khatami]]
| predecessor6        = ''Office established''
| successor6          = [[Mohammad Reza Naqdi]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1961|08|23|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Torqabeh]], [[Pahlavi Iran|Iran]]<ref name="id">{{citation|url=http://irdiplomacy.ir/en/page/7611/The+Paradoxical+Politician.html|title=The Paradoxical Politician|date=18 August 2010|access-date=10 May 2017|work=Iranian Diplomacy}}</ref>
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| nationality         = [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]]
| party               = [[Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran]] (Spiritual leader)<ref name="ds">{{citation|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/bystander/will-hassan-rouhani-get-second-term-1405645|title=Will Hassan Rouhani get a second term?|work=The Daily Star|date=16 May 2017|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
| otherparty          = {{ubl|[[Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces]] (2020)|[[Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces]] (2017)}}
| spouse              = {{marriage|Zahra-Sadat Moshir-Estekhareh|1982}}
| children            = Elias, Eshaq, Maryam<ref>{{cite web|url=http://isna.ir/fa/news/92032011547/تمام-اطلاعات-خانوادگی-کاندیداهای-ریاست-جمهوری |title=تمام اطلاعات خانوادگی کاندیداهای ریاست جمهوری یازدهم|publisher=ISNA|date=13 January 2014}}</ref>
| blank1              = Religion
| data1               = [[Shia Islam]]
| alma_mater          = {{ubl|[[University of Tehran]]|[[Tarbiat Modares University]]}}
| signature           = Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signature.svg
| website             = {{Official website|http://ghalibaf.ir}}
}}
}}

{{Contains special characters|Perso-Arabic}}
{{Conservatism in Iran|People}}
'''Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf''' ({{langx|fa|محمدباقر قالیباف}}, born 23 August 1961) is an Iranian [[Iranian Principlists|conservative]] politician, former [[military officer]], and current [[List of Speakers of the Parliament of Iran|Speaker]] of the [[Islamic Consultative Assembly|Parliament of Iran]] since 2020. He held office as the [[List of mayors of Tehran|Mayor of Tehran]] from 2005 to 2017. Ghalibaf was formerly Iran's [[Chief of police]] from 2000 to 2005 and commander of the [[Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] from 1997 to 2000.

He holds a Ph.D. in political geography from [[Tarbiat Modares University]]. He is also a pilot, certified to fly certain Airbus aircraft. He began his military career during the [[Iran–Iraq War]] in 1980. He became chief commander of the Imam Reza Brigade in 1982 and was chief commander of Nasr Division from 1983 to 1984. After the war, he became Managing-Director of [[Khatam al-Anbia]], an engineering firm controlled by the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] and was appointed commander of the [[IRGC Air Force]] in 1996 by [[Ali Khamenei]]. Four years later, he became chief of the [[Military of Iran|Iranian Police Forces]] after the previous commander was dismissed following the [[Iran student protests, July 1999|1999 student protests]]. He was also appointed  Representative of [[President of Iran|President]] [[Mohammad Khatami]] during a campaign to combat smuggling in 2002. In September 2005, he was elected as [[Tehran]]'s mayor by the [[City Council of Tehran]]. He is also a professor at the [[University of Tehran]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090409204815/http://geography.ut.ac.ir/home/index.php?action=listingview&listingID=17 Members of the Tehran University]. geography.ut.ac.ir</ref>

Ghalibaf is often regarded a [[perennial candidate]] in the presidential elections.<ref>{{Citation|title=Iranians Are Mocking Tehran's Mayor for Installing Anti-American Billboards|work=Foreign Policy|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/07/01/iranians-are-mocking-tehrans-mayor-for-installing-anti-american-billboards/|author=Henry Johnson|access-date=26 March 2015|date=1 July 2016}}</ref> He was a candidate in the [[2013 Iranian presidential election|2013 presidential election]] but lost to [[Hassan Rouhani]], in second place with 17% (6,077,292) of the votes. He was also a candidate in the [[2005 Iranian presidential election|2005 presidential election]], coming in fourth with 14% of the vote. He announced his run for a third time in the [[2017 Iranian presidential election|2017 election]]. However, he withdrew on 15 May 2017 in favor of [[Ebrahim Raisi]]'s candidacy. He was a candidate in the [[2024 Iranian presidential election|2024 presidential election]], coming in third with 14% of the vote.

In the [[2020 Iranian legislative election]], the Principlists regained the majority in the legislature,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/iran-conservatives-prevail-polls-marked-turnout-200223164925986.html|title = Iran conservatives prevail in polls marked by low turnout}}</ref> and Ghalibaf was elected as the new Speaker of Iran Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ifpnews.com/qalibaf-elected-as-new-speaker-of-irans-parliament|title = Qalibaf Elected as New Speaker of Iran's Parliament - Iran Front Page|date = 28 May 2020}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Ghalibaf was born on 23 August 1961 in [[Torqabeh]],<ref name="site-life">{{cite web|url=http://www.qalibaf.ir/main/index.php?Page=staticpage&UID=2631|title=Life (زندگی)|access-date=8 August 2007|work=Official Website |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217035835/http://www.qalibaf.ir/main/index.php?Page=staticpage&UID=2631<!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=17 December 2007|language=fa}}</ref> near [[Mashhad]], in the province of [[Razavi Khorasan Province|Razavi Khorasan]],<ref name=major/> to a [[Kurds|Kurdish]] father Hossein Ghalibaf and a [[Persians|Persian]] mother Kheirolnessa Boujmehrani.<ref name=major>{{cite web|url=http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/tehran-mayor.html|title=Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf – Mayor of Tehran|access-date=17 December 2008|date=22 January 2008|work=[[City Mayors]]}}</ref><ref name=scott>{{cite news|title=Mohammed-Baqer Qalibaf: The Man to See|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1832327,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201161438/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1832327,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 December 2008|access-date=12 February 2013|newspaper=Time|date=13 August 2008|author=Scott Macleod|author2=Nahid Siamdoust|location=Tehran}}</ref>

Ghalibaf married Zahra Sadat Moshir in 1982 when he was twenty two years old. Moshir (born 1968) joined her husband as an adviser and head of women's affairs in the [[Tehran|Municipality of Tehran]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140406224904/http://webzine.mehrnews.com/FullStory/News/?NewsId=2101 همسرانی‌که برای‌پیروزی نامزدهای انتخابات می‌جنگند]. mehrnews.com</ref><ref>[http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13920319000342 همسران نامزدها به چه کاری مشغول هستند؟] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814221526/http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13920319000342 |date=14 August 2017 }}. Farsnews.com. Retrieved 25 October 2015.</ref>

== Education ==
Ghalibaf obtained [[Bachelor's degree|bachelor]] in [[human geography]] from [[University of Tehran|Tehran University]], [[Master's degree|master]] in human geography from [[Islamic Azad University]] and [[PhD]] in [[political geography]] from [[Tarbiat Modares University]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biography of the 6th President of the Islamic Parliament of Iran|url=https://en.parliran.ir/eng/en/Biography|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-12-08|archive-date=27 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027004026/http://en.parliran.ir/eng/en/Biography}}</ref>

==Military career==
At the age of 19, he was one of the commanders of the defense forces during the [[Iran–Iraq War]]. Shortly afterwards he was named commander of the Rasulollah division. By the time he was twenty-two, he was already commander of the Nasr Troops. After the war he was selected as Deputy Commander of the Resistance Force and [[Basij]] Troops under General Afshar. Ghalibaf received the degree of Major General in 1996 after he had completed a master's degree in [[geopolitics]]. In 1998, when [[Mohsen Rezaei]] retired and [[Yahya Rahim Safavi]] took over as IRGC's new commander-in-chief, he was named Commander of [[Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]].

Ghalibaf became one of the senior commanders of the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] (IRGC) in later years.<ref name=masoud /> In 1984, he was appointed head of the [[Khatam al-Anbia]] Construction Headquarters, which is the engineering arm of the IRGC. Under his management, the headquarters launched a 165-kilometer railway connecting Mashhad to Sarakhs.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

As commander of the Revolutionary Guards Air Force during the [[Iran student protests, July 1999|1999 student protests]], Ghalibaf was one of the 24 IRGC commanders who sent a threatening letter to the reformist president [[Mohammad Khatami]] stating that if the protests were allowed to continue, they would take matters into their own hands.<ref name=masoud />

==Police career==
[[File:Amin graduation 2004.jpg|thumb|left|Ghalibaf in 2004 in [[Amin Police Academy]]]]
Following the 1999 protests, he was appointed chief of the Iranian Police Forces by the [[Supreme Leader of Iran]], [[Ali Khamenei]], to succeed General [[Hedayat Lotfian]] who was removed from his office during the violence. After becoming chief of police, Ghalibaf initiated some reforms in the forces, including dropping all lawsuits against newspapers, modernization of police equipment and the [[Police 110]] project, which aimed to make the police more accessible to the general public.<ref name="id"/>

On 5 April 2005, Ghalibaf submitted his resignation from the military positions (including the police forces) due to his intention to run for the presidency of Iran.

==Mayor of Tehran==
[[File:Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf 2.jpg|thumb|left|Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf]]
When Ghalibaf lost the 2005 election, he was proposed as [[Mayor of Tehran]] along with [[Mohammad Aliabadi]] and [[Mohammad-Ali Najafi]]. On 4 September 2005, he was elected as the next Mayor by the [[City Council of Tehran]] to succeed [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] who left the office after being elected president.<ref name=masoud>{{cite journal|last=Kazemzadeh|first=Masoud|title=Ahmadinejad's Foreign Policy|journal=Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East|year=2007|volume=27|issue=2|pages=423–449|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/cst/summary/v027/27.2kazemzadeh.html|access-date=12 February 2013|doi=10.1215/1089201x-2007-015|s2cid=144395765 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He received 8 out of 15 votes of the council. He was reelected for a second term on 2007 after receiving 12 votes with no opponent.

According to [[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]], he has used his position as mayor "to foster a reputation as a politician who gets things done."<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-03/defying-iran-sanctions-propels-tehran-mayor-before-vote.html Defying Iran Sanctions Propels Tehran Mayor Before Vote]| By Ladane Nasseri | bloomberg.com| 4 February 2013</ref> Ghalibaf sought reelection as Mayor of Tehran as the Conservative's choice in the [[2013 Iranian local elections|2013 local elections]]. His rivals were [[Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani]], [[Masoumeh Ebtekar]], [[Ali Nikzad]] and [[Mohsen Mehralizadeh]]. He was elected as Mayor for another term on 8 September 2013 after defeating Hashemi in a [[Two round system|runoff]] with 51.6% of the votes.<ref>[http://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/343629/قالیباف-ماند-نخستین-شکست-اصلاح‌طلبان-پس-از-انتخابات Ghalibaf reelected as Mayor of Tehran]. tabnak.ir</ref><ref>[http://khabaronline.ir/detail/312053/society/urban Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf becomes Tehran's Mayor]. Khabaronline.ir. Retrieved on 25 October 2015.</ref>

==Soleimani friendship==
Qalibaf, who commanded the [[5th Nasr Division]] and then the elite [[25th Karbala Division]] of the IRGC in the [[Iran-Iraq War]], developed a long friendship with the then up-and-coming commander of the [[41st Tharallah Division]], General [[Qasem Soleimani]]. In the words of Arash Azizi:

<blockquote>During the war years, the commanders who had distinguished themselves most, had a regional base and a talent for organizing the men of their provinces for the national war effort. Three such men became close comrades and helped build a web of influence that strengthened their respective positions: Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, [[Ahmad Kazemi]], and Qassem Soleimani. When the war ended, they were respectively 27, 29, and 32 years old. They had respectively led IRGC divisions in [[Khorasan Province|Khorasan]], [[Isfahan]], and [[Kerman]] provinces, three of the biggest territorial units in the country which together accounted for much of the country’s population.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://dokumen.pub/the-shadow-commander-soleimani-the-us-and-irans-global-ambitions-9781786079459.html|title=The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran's Global Ambitions 9781786079459|website=dokumen.pub|accessdate=29 May 2024}}</ref></blockquote>

In the [[2013 Iranian presidential election]] Soleimani reportedly voted for Qalibaf, who represented IRGC veterans' interests, against moderate candidate [[Hassan Rouhani]], who eventually won.<ref name="auto"/>

==Presidential campaigns==

===2005 presidential election===
Ghalibaf was a candidate in the [[2005 Iranian presidential election|Iranian presidential election of 2005]],<ref name=fna12/> and was being considered to be supported by some factions of the conservative alliance because of his popularity with both wings. However, in the final days before the election, the major support went to [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]]. Ghalibaf came fourth in the election.<ref name=fna12/> He made a [[populist]] appeal during the campaigns.<ref>{{citation|author=Bill Samii|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1342640.html|title=Iran Report|date=6 June 2005|access-date=28 December 2016|publisher=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]]|volume=8|number=22}}</ref>

On 13 October 2008, he announced his support for dialogue with the United States as suggested by then-presidential candidate [[Barack Obama]]. According to Ghalibaf, "the world community, the Iranian society and the US society would benefit" from such talks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tehran mayor welcomes Obama's call for talks|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=96903|newspaper=[[Daily Star (Lebanon)|Daily Star]]|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=18 October 2008 |access-date=17 December 2008}}</ref>

===2013 presidential election===
Ghalibaf did not run for presidency in [[2009 Iranian presidential election|the elections in 2009]].<ref name=fna12>{{cite news|title=Tehran Mayor to Run in Presidential Election|url=http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9104250154|access-date=12 February 2013|newspaper=Fars News Agency|date=16 July 2012|location=Tehran|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://swap.stanford.edu/20120813064359/http%3A//english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn%3D9104250154|archive-date=13 August 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> His adviser announced that he would take part in [[2013 Iranian presidential election|the presidential elections]] in June 2013 and he officially announced this on 16 July 2012.<ref name=fna12/> In his speech during the announcement of his candidacy, he said:

<blockquote>“That's two things I still stand on and would seriously consider, first: the Constitution and second: respect the prisoners and detainees."</blockquote>

[[File:Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf2.jpg|thumb|Ghalibaf speech in a campaign in [[Mashhad]]]]
He also set ''Love and Sacrifice'' and ''[[Jihad]]i Change'' as his official slogans. His candidacy was approved by the [[Guardian Council]] on 21 May 2013 along with seven other candidates. He was one of the opponents of [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]'s candidacy and says it was better that Rafsanjani not enter the race, as he had served two terms before. He and two other candidates, [[Ali Akbar Velayati]] and [[Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel]], formed a coalition called "2+1". He was endorsed by former candidates, [[Alireza Ali Ahmadi]] and [[Sadeq Vaeez Zadeh]]. [[Ali Larijani]], the current chairman of parliament, also supported Ghalibaf in the election.

According to the Guardian, his moderating streak as Tehran's mayor is evident throughout Ghalibaf's political efforts.<ref name=guardian>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/iran-blog/2013/may/29/iran-election-tehran-mayor-bagher-ghalibaf Iran election: why Tehran mayor's popularity may harm his chances]. Guardian. Retrieved on 25 October 2015.</ref> Ghalibaf received 6,077,292 votes (16.55%), putting him in second place behind winner [[Hassan Rouhani]], who was elected as the new president.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hassan Rouhani leads Iran presidential election vote count|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22916174|newspaper=BBC News|date=15 June 2013}}</ref> Hours after the announcement of the results, Ghalibaf published a statement congratulating [[Hassan Rouhani]] on his election as [[President of Iran]] and conceding.

===2017 presidential election===
{{main|Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf 2017 presidential campaign}}
===2024 presidential election===
Ghalibaf's candidacy for the [[2024 Iranian presidential election]] was approved by the guardian council in June 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-10 |title=Iran election: Hardliners dominate presidential candidates |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy66y5xgjqgo |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Senior IRGC commanders, including Major General [[Mohsen Rezaee]], Rear Admiral [[Ali Shamkhani]] and Brigadier General [[Hossein Dehghan]] supported Ghalibaf's presidential bid.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-june-4-2024 | title=Institute for the Study of War }}</ref>

== Electoral history ==
{{main|Electoral history of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf }}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Year !! Election !!Votes !! % !! Rank !! Notes
|-
|2005||[[2005 Iranian presidential election|President]]||4,095,827||13.93||4th
| style="background:#c66;"|Lost
|-
|2013||[[2013 Iranian presidential election|President]]||{{increase}} 6,077,292||{{increase}} 16.56||2nd
| style="background:#c66;"|Lost
|-
|2017||[[2017 Iranian presidential election|President]]
!colspan="3"|–
| style="background-color:#C0C0C0"|''Withdrew'' 
|-
|2020||[[Iranian legislative election, 2020 (Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr)|Parliament]]||1,265,287|||68.69 ||1st
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC"|Won
|-
|2024||Iranian legislative election, 2024 (Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr)|Parliament||{{decrease}} 447,905||{{decrease}} 28.53||4th
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC"|Won
|-
|2024||[[2024 Iranian presidential election|President]]||{{decrease}} 3,383,340||{{decrease}} 13.79||3rd
| style="background:#c66;"|Lost
|}

==Party affiliation==
Ghalibaf is regarded as the spiritual leader behind [[Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran]]<ref name="ds"/> and Iranian Islamic Freedom Party.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/09/ghalibaf-political-party.html|author=Rohollah Faghihi|title=Tehran's ever-ambitious mayor|work=Al-Monitor|date=9 September 2015|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref> He is a member of the political alliance [[Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces]].<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.irdiplomacy.ir/en/page/1968584/How+will+Iran%E2%80%99s+Six+Presidential+Candidates+Campaign.html|title=How will Iran's Six Presidential Candidates Campaign|date=24 April 2017|access-date=24 April 2017|work=Iranian Diplomacy}}</ref>

== Controversies and scandals ==

=== Allegations of corruption ===

==== Yas Holding Company case ====
Ghalibaf has been accused of using his influence as a former [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|IRGC]] commander to cover up corruption scandals that took place in Tehran during his term as mayor. One such scandal, which took place in 2017, involved the Yas Holding Company, a company whose board is partially made up of [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|IRGC]] generals. The company was accused of embezzling an estimated 13 trillion [[Iranian toman|tomans]] (US$3 billion) from Tehran Municipality for overpriced infrastructure projects built by construction companies linked to the IRGC during Ghalibaf's mayorship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exclusive: Documents Show Guards Took Over Lands in Tehran by Force |url=https://iranwire.com/en/features/65536 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=iranwire.com |language=en}}</ref> In early 2022, a leaked audio recording was published by [[Radio Farda]], which purported to show former [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|IRGC]] Major General [[Mohammad Ali Jafari]] and Brigadier General Sadegh Zolghadr-Nia discussing the Yas Holding Company case, mentioning Ghalibaf's efforts to cover up the scandal by using his connections to the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|IRGC]], by enlisting the support of [[Hossein Taeb]], the head of the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|IRGC]]'s [[Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|Intelligence Organization.]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iran's IRGC confirms leaked audio of former head discussing corruption - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/02/irans-irgc-confirms-leaked-audio-former-head-discussing-corruption |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=www.al-monitor.com |date=14 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Leaked Recording Reveals IRGC Commanders' Squabbles Over Embezzled Cash from Tehran |url=https://iranwire.com/en/politics/71311 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=iranwire.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=افشای جلسه محرمانه سرلشکر جعفری درباره فساد و روابط مافیایی در بالاترین سطوح سپاه |url=https://www.radiofarda.com/a/leaked-tape-unveiling-corruption-in-highest-level-of-irgc/31697618.html |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=رادیو فردا |date=7 March 2022 |language=fa|last1=فردا |first1=رادیو }}</ref>

==== "LayetteGate" and luxury apartments in Istanbul ====
In April 2022, photos were published on Twitter that showed Ghalibaf's wife, Zahra Sadat Moshirand, and members of Ghalibaf's family at [[Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport]], returning from a luxury shopping trip in Turkey with 20 pieces of luggage, which were said to be a [[layette]] for their newborn child.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashari |first=Vahid |date=2022-04-20 |title=وحید اشتری |url=https://twitter.com/va_ashtari/status/1516482895749259267 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Twitter |language=Persian}}</ref> The scandal, dubbed ''LayetteGate'' or ''SismuniGate'' by Iranian Twitter users, led to calls for him to step down as speaker of Parliament, with critics accusing Ghalibaf of being out of touch for his family shopping overseas during an economic crisis,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iran parliament speaker in hot water over family's trip to Turkey - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/04/iran-parliament-speaker-hot-water-over-familys-trip-turkey |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=www.al-monitor.com |date=21 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref> and hypocrisy, pointing to comments made during his 2017 presidential campaign, where he criticized a former minister for traveling to Italy to purchase baby clothes.<ref>{{Cite news |title='Lies And Hypocrisy': Iran's Parliament Speaker Under Fire Over Family's Reported Shopping Spree In Turkey |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-qalibaf-shopping-spree-turkey/31816829.html |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |language=en|last1=Esfandiari |first1=Golnaz }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Foreign Shopping Trip Scandal Prompts Calls For Iran Speaker To Resign |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202204204767 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Iran International |date=20 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The criticism of Ghalibaf's family escalated when further allegations were made by an Iranian journalist based in Turkey that Ghalibaf's wife, daughter and son-in-law had purchased two luxury apartments in Istanbul worth 400 billion [[Iranian rial|rials]] (US$1.6 million).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iran Speaker Scandal Expands To Alleged Apartment Purchases |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202204240105 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Iran International |date=24 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miresmaeili |first=Amirhossein |date=2022-04-21 |title=Amirhossein Miresmaeili on Twitter: اطلاع دقیق پیدا کردم که همسر، فرزند و داماد محمدباقر قالیباف در سفر به استانبول ۲ واحد آپارتمان به مبلغ ۴۰ میلیارد تومن در مجتمع لوکس "اسکای‌لند" در محله ماسلاک خریدن. اسکای‌لند که روبروی جنگل‌های بلگراد و کنار ورزشگاه گالاتاسرایه، جزو گرون‌ترین مجتمع‌های استانبوله |url=https://twitter.com/amirmiresmaeili/status/1517049153662111754 |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Twitter |language=persian}}</ref>

Another scandal concerned Ghalibaf's son, Eshagh Ghalibaf, who had made "repeated enquiries" to obtain Canadian permanent residency.  When this came to light Iranians joined a petition asking the Canadian government not to grant the younger Ghalibaf a visa.<ref name=":0" /> There are reports that his son claimed to have $150,000 in funds available to support his application.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2024 |title=The children of Iran's revolution still want to go West |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/06/06/the-children-of-irans-revolution-still-want-to-go-west |access-date=2024-08-11 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> In February 2024, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship [[Marc Miller (politician)|Marc Miller]] wrote on X: "On Feb. 6th, the permanent residency application of Eshagh Ghalibaf, the son of Iran’s Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, was refused. The Iranian regime has engaged in acts of terrorism and systemic human rights violations. We stand with the people of Iran."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Canadian Visa Bid Exposes Wealth Of Iran Parliament Speaker's Son|url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202402212009 |website=Iran International |date=21 February 2024 |language=en}}</ref> 

All these scandals however, did not stop Ghalibaf running for parliamentary election in 2024 and staying as speaker of the house in Islamic Republic's parliament.

==Accolades==
* [[World Mayor]]: 8th place (2008)<ref>{{citation|author=Tann vom Hove|date=14 October 2008 |url= http://www.worldmayor.com/contest_2008/world-mayor-2008-results.html |title= Helen Zille, Mayor of Cape Town, wins the 2008 World Mayor Prize |work= World Mayor |access-date=1 August 2017}}</ref>
* [[Sustainable Transport Award]]: 2nd place (2011)<ref>{{citation |author= Jonna McKone |url= http://thecityfix.com/blog/2011-sustainable-transport-award-tehran-boasts-major-achievements/ |title= 2011 Sustainable Transport Award: Tehran Boasts Major Achievements |work=The City Fix |publisher= World Resources Institute |date=25 January 2011 |access-date= 1 August 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|wikt=no|c=Category:Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf|n=no|q=no|s=no|b=no|v=no|d=Q542074}}
* {{cite news|title=FT Interview: Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/57d045fa-b9ff-11dc-abcb-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1|work=Financial Times |date=8 January 2008}}
* {{cite magazine |first=Nahid |last=Siamdoust |title=A Rival for Iran's Ahmadinejad |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1723250,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320052110/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1723250,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 March 2008 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |date=18 March 2008}}
* {{cite news |first=Farah |last=Stockman |title=Iran election raises hope for change |url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2008/12/22/iran_election_raises_hope_for_change/ |work=The Boston Globe|date=22 December 2008}}
* {{cite news |first=Rachel |last=Aspden |title=Conservative in a leather jacket |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2009/01/qalibaf-mayor-iran-ahmadinejad |work=New Statesman |location=UK |date=8 January 2009}}
*Mohammad Bagher Ghalibad on [https://ponishare.ir/profile/mbghalibaf Ponishare] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127200219/https://ponishare.ir/profile/mbghalibaf |date=27 January 2021 }}

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{{Succession box|before=Morteza Ghorbani|title=Commander of the [[25th Karbala Division]]|years=1988–1994|after=Unknown}}
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{{S-ttl|title=[[List of speakers of the Parliament of Iran|Speaker of Parliament of Iran]]|years=2020–present}}
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{{Mayors of Tehran}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghalibaf, Mohammad Bagher}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
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[[Category:Mayors of Tehran]]
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[[Category:Members of the 11th Islamic Consultative Assembly]]