He was the parliamentary leader of reformists' Hope fraction in the Iranian Parliament, representing Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr.

[6] He previously served as Minister Information and Communications Technology and head of Management and Planning Organization in Khatami's first cabinet.

He is currently one of the members of the Expediency Discernment Council that is an advisory unit for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

[11] He was nominated for parliamentary election of 2008 as the reformist front's first in the list but he withdrew to protest the rejection of some candidates by the Guardian Council.

[16] However, Aref rejected Rouhani's invite for a political post (Vice Presidency or Ministry of Science) to focus on his party's establishment.

He also added that if elected, his administration would bolster Iran's international relations and would find a "political solution" to closing the "[nuclear] dossier once and for all".

Aref said he would remain "committed to the law" throughout the election process, promising to implement an economic plan to propel the country out of inflation and to achieve development and progress.

[17] Aref censured the foreign policy of the Ahmadinejad's administration, vowing to improve Iran's diplomatic ties with other countries if elected president.

[citation needed] Vowing to tackle unemployment, Aref said he aimed all-out development in various political, cultural, economical and social fields.

I have come to eradicate inflation and create one million job opportunities every year",[citation needed]Aref also said he is a reformist and reform means safeguarding the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, accountability and encouraging popular participation.

[18][19] He also called on the Iranian people to vote en masse in the upcoming presidential election to create a political epic and maintain the dignity of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

[20] On 4 November 2014, Aref announced he would run for Parliament of Iran in the 2016 election from Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr district.