Strategic Council on Foreign Relations
Iranian advisory body to the Supreme Leader on foreign policy; outside the formal Foreign Ministry.
Last refreshed: 2 April 2026
Why was a back-channel body, not Iran's FM, running peace talks?
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- What is Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations?
- An advisory body to Iran's Supreme Leader on international affairs, chaired by former FM Kamal Kharazi since 2005. It operates outside the formal Foreign Ministry and maintains informal diplomatic contacts.Source: background
- Who chairs the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations?
- Kamal Kharazi, Iran's Foreign Minister from 1997 to 2005 under President Khatami. He was struck at his Tehran home on 1 April 2026 while coordinating the Pakistan-Vance back-channel.Source: quick_facts
- How is the Strategic Council different from Iran's Foreign Ministry?
- The Foreign Ministry is the official diplomatic arm under the president. The Strategic Council answers directly to the Supreme Leader, enabling deniable contacts the ministry cannot conduct officially.Source: background
- Why was the Strategic Council running peace talks instead of Araghchi?
- FM Araghchi declared six months of war readiness and publicly rejected all negotiations. The Council operated a parallel channel because the formal diplomatic apparatus had closed.Source: background
Background
The Strategic Council on Foreign Relations became central to the 2026 Iran conflict when its chairman, Kamal Kharazi, was struck at his Tehran home on 1 April 2026 while coordinating the only functioning diplomatic back-channel between Iran and the United States via Pakistan.
The Council operates as a parallel advisory structure to the Supreme Leader, separate from Iran's formal Foreign Ministry led by Abbas Araghchi. Established in the early 2000s, it provides policy recommendations on international affairs and maintains informal diplomatic contacts that the Foreign Ministry cannot conduct officially. Kharazi has chaired it since leaving the Foreign Ministry in 2005.
The Council's role in back-channel diplomacy reflects Iran's dual Foreign Policy structure: one official (the FM), one informal (the Council, answering to the Supreme Leader). With Iran's FM declaring six months of war readiness and rejecting all negotiations, the Council was the only body with both the authority and willingness to explore peace.
