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Ali Khamenei is Iran’s “Supreme Leader.” He was a close confidant of Khomeini and has now been at the helm of the country for over 30 years.
Ali Khamenei: How he became the “Supreme Leader”
Ali Khamenei is considered the “Supreme Leader” of Iran. Since 1989, he has been the head of the Middle Eastern country, which is predominantly Shiite.
- Khamenei has been at the helm of Iran for over 34 years. He lives with his family in a heavily guarded security compound in the capital Tehran.
- The religious leader was born in 1939 in the city of Mashhad in the northeast of the country. He grew up with seven siblings. His father was from Azerbaijan, while his mother came from the desert city of Yazd.
- According to Khamenei himself, the family grew up in difficult economic circumstances. He studied theology in Qom and attended lectures by Ayatollah Khomeini. Khamenei became a confidant of Khomeini.
- Khomeini is considered the main figure of the revolution in Iran, which ultimately led to the overthrow of the Shah and the proclamation of the Islamic Republic.
- In the 1960s, Khamenei followed his call to rise up against the Shah. During this time, he was arrested several times and imprisoned. He was seriously injured in an assassination attempt. Since then, he has been unable to move his arm properly.
Khamenei’s rise to power
Khamenei quickly took on important roles in the new government and continued to rise through the ranks. Shortly before Khomeini’s death in 1989, he wanted Khamenei to succeed him.
- This is what happened on June 4, 1989. Khamenei became Iran’s new “Supreme Leader.” With this title, he is the head of state and the highest political and spiritual authority in the country.
- Khamenei is on the conservative side of Islam and takes a hard line. As a result, reforms or innovations are rare in Iran. He has diverse powers over all institutions throughout the country. Even the protest movement that led to a major uprising in the country after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022 has done nothing to change this course.
- She died while in the custody of the Iranian police. The reason for her arrest was her allegedly improperly worn headscarf. This incident led many people to take to the streets in protest against the regime and the prescribed rules—some lost their lives as a result, and many thousands were arrested.
- Khamenei is considered a man who has a clear plan for his country. And he is considered a man who does not shy away from enforcing it with all his might and even brutality.
- The Iranian head of state has been married since 1964 and has four sons.
