Ali Khamenei

He was the Supreme Leader of Iran and one of the country’s most influential figures since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. He succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as Supreme Leader in 1989 and served in that position for more than three decades, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in the region. Before becoming Supreme Leader, Khamenei served as President of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was born on April 19, 1939, in Mashhad, Iran, into a religious Shiite family, and studied at Islamic seminaries in Qom and Mashhad. During the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty, he was arrested several times for his political activities against the Shah. After the revolution, he became a key figure in shaping Iran’s Islamic regime and consolidating its power within religious institutions. In 1981, he survived an assassination attempt that left his right arm permanently paralyzed. As Supreme Leader, Khamenei oversaw all branches of government, the armed forces, and Iran’s domestic and foreign policy. He adopted a strongly anti-Western and anti-Israeli stance and supported movements opposing Western influence across the region. Under his leadership, Iran faced large-scale protests and internal unrest, including the Green Movement protests in 2009 and the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Despite these challenges, Khamenei remained a central authority in Iranian politics and religious affairs.