Ahmad Tavakkoli

Ahmad Tavakkoli was an Iranian conservative principlist politician. He earned a PhD in economics from the University of Nottingham. He served as Minister of Labour (1981–1983) under Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi and was a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly representing Tehran (2004–2016) and Behshahr (1980–1981).

Tavakkoli founded Resalat, one of Iran's leading conservative newspapers, and managed the Alef news website. He ran for president in 1993 and 2001, finishing second both times. He served on the Expediency Discernment Council from 2017 until his death. He was a member of the Islamic Republican Party and the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization.

He was a cousin of the Larijani brothers, including Ali Larijani and Sadegh Larijani. He was a fierce critic of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's economic policies. He also founded Justice and Transparency Watch, an anti-corruption NGO.

Tavakkoli died of a heart attack in Tehran on 23 July 2025. He was co-father-in-law with Sadegh Zibakalam.