Since the early 21st century, network governance has gained prominence in public administration, forming around public issues and service delivery. The miandaar—a central coordinating actor within public governance networks, referred to by various terms in the literature—plays a pivotal role in these systems. However, its roles and responsibilities are often unclear to other stakeholders, leading to coordination challenges at both national and local levels. This study, through a case study of Iran’s Ministry of Interior—as a representative example of the miandaar—aims to develop a theoretical model of this role in governance networks. Methodologically, the research adopts a case study design and follows Glaser’s emergent grounded theory approach. It includes analysis of official documents and regulations, along with 16 semi-structured interviews with senior managers across six policy areas: social affairs, political and electoral affairs, security and enforcement, economic policy, crisis management, and construction planning. The findings are structured into three dimensions: the concept of the miandaar (three categories), its process-oriented roles (five categories), and support-oriented roles (six categories). The miandaar is perceived as the coordinating and guiding actor—metaphorically described as the "thread of a tasbih" that ties the network together. Through roles such as issue assessment, policymaking, planning, coordination, and monitoring, it steers the public problem-solving cycle. Additionally, by supporting capacity building, data analysis, holistic follow-up, research, regulatory development, and training, the miandaar helps strengthen the governance network as a whol