Ali Khamenei

Grand Ayatollah Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i ( , , ; born 17 July 1939) is a politician as the figurehead of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver shi'a marja . He was president of Iran from 1981 to 1989, and has been Supreme Leader of Iran since June 1989 when the Assembly of Experts selected him to succeed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . He has been described as one of only three people having "important influences" on the Islamic Republic of Iran (the other two being the founder of the republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the president of Iran for much of the 1990s, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ). So far, the biggest challenge to his leadership has been the mass protests following the June 2009 presidential elections . Khamenei, however, continued to strongly support Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's policies and re-election. Khamenei was the victim of an attack aimed to assassinate him in June 1981 which paralysed his right hand. In 2000 he was listed by the Committee to Protect Journalists as "one of the top ten enemies of the press and freedom of expression", and was named to the Time 100 in 2007. Prominent journalists Ahmad Zeidabadi , Mohsen Sazegara , and Akbar Ganji were arrested and tortured for writing critical articles about Khamenei's policies as the supreme leader. Filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad was imprisoned for spreading propaganda. Among his controversial actions were his rejection of a bill presented by the Iranian parliament in 2000 that aimed to reform the country's press law, and the disqualification of thousands of parliamentary candidates for the 2004 Iranian legislative election by the Guardian Council he appointed. Supreme Leader’s Speech at Endorsement Ceremony. khamenei.ir, 2009-08-03, accessed 2009-09-24 Ayatollah Khamenei has kept a low profile Agence France-Presse, 2009-06-20, accessed 2009-09-24.

Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( ; born 17 July 1939) is the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran and a Muslim cleric . Ali Khamenei succeeded Ruhollah Khomeini , the leader of the Iranian Revolution , after Khomeini's death, being elected as the new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts on 4 June 1989. He had also served as the President of Iran from 1981 to 1989. In 2012, Forbes selected him 21st in the list of The World's Most Powerful People . Khamenei is head of state , and is considered the most powerful political authority in Iran. Khamenei was the victim of an attempted assassination in June 1981 that paralysed his right arm. According to his official website , Khamenei was arrested six times before being sent to exile for three years during Mohammad Reza Pahlavi 's reign. Ali Khamenei has reportedly reissued a fatwa saying the production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons is forbidden under Islam. "Fact Checker Did Iran's supreme leader issue a fatwa against the development of nuclear weapons?" .

Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989 Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( , ; born 19 April 1939) is a Twelver Shia Marja' and the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran , in office since 1989. He was previously President of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei is the longest serving head of state in the Middle East, as well as the second-longest serving Iranian leader of the last century, after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi . According to his official website, Khamenei was arrested six times before being sent into exile for three years during Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's reign. After the Islamic revolution overthrowing the shah, he was the target of an attempted assassination in June 1981 that paralysed his right arm. Khamenei was one of Iran's leaders during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s, and developed close ties with the now powerful Revolutionary Guards which he controls, and whose commanders are elected and dismissed by him. The Revolutionary Guards have been used to suppress opposition to him. Khamenei served as the third President of Iran from 1981 to 1989, while becoming a close ally of the first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini . Shortly before his death, Khomeini had a disagreement with the heir he had chosen — Hussein Ali Montazeri — so there was no agreed on successor when Khomeini died. The Assembly of Experts elected Khamenei as the next Supreme Leader on 4 June 1989, at the age of 49. According to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani , Khamenei was the man Khomeini had chosen as his successor before dying. Khamenei has been head of the servants of Astan Quds Razavi since 14 April 1979. As Supreme Leader, Khamenei is the most powerful political authority in the Islamic Republic. He is the head of state of Iran , the commander-in-chief of its armed forces , and can issue decrees and make the final decisions on the main policies of the government in many fields such as economy, the environment, foreign policy, and national planning in Iran. Khamenei has either direct or indirect control over the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, as well as the military and media, according to Karim Sadjadpour . All candidates for the Assembly of Experts, the Presidency and the Majlis (Parliament) are vetted by the Guardian Council , whose members are selected directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader of Iran. There have been also instances when the Guardian Council reversed its ban on particular people after being ordered to do so by Khamenei. There have been major protests during Khamenei's reign, including the 1994 Qazvin Protests, the 1999 Iranian student protests , the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests , the 2011–12 Iranian protests , the 2017–18 Iranian protests , and 2018–2019 Iranian general strikes and protests . Journalists, bloggers, and other individuals have been put on trial in Iran for the charge of insulting Supreme Leader Khamenei, often in conjunction with blasphemy charges. Their sentences have included lashing and jail time, and some of them have died in custody. Regarding the nuclear program of Iran , Khamenei issued a fatwa in 2003 forbidding the production, stockpiling, and use of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction. "توضیحات مجلس خبرگان درباره جلسه انتخاب آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای به عنوان رهبر در سال 68/ آیت‌الله گلپایگانی فقط 14 رای داشت" . پایگاه خبری تحلیلی انتخاب – Entekhab.ir . "letter to Hashemi Rafsanjani and resignation from presidency" (in Persian). "A photo of Identity document of Ayatollah Khamenei" (in Persian). "جامعه روحانيت مبارز جوان مي‌شود" [Combatant Clergy Association gets younger] (in Persian). "taking look at the biography of Ali Khamenei" . khamenei (fa) . The government monitored meetings, movements, and communications of its citizens and often charged persons with crimes against national security and insulting the regime based on letters, e-mails, and other public and private communications. Khamenei has kept a low profile Agence France Presse, 20 June 2009. Khamenei has strengthened alliances with militant commanders, especially within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in the hope that all opposition to his authority will continue to be suppressed—as it was during the protests of 2009. "انتصاب آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای به عنوان رئیس خدمه‌ی آستان قدس رضوی" . farsi.khamenei.ir . khamenei.ir. "Khamenei outlines 14-point plan to increase population" . 22 May 2014. During the year the government arrested students, journalists, lawyers, political activists, women's activists, artists, and members of religious minorities; charged many with crimes such as "propaganda against the system" and "insulting the supreme leader;" and treated such cases as national security trials (see sections 1.a. through 1.e.; section 6, Women; and section 7.a.).

Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989 Not to be confused with his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini . Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( , ; born 19 April 1939), mostly known as Ali Khamenei ( علی خامنه‌ای ), is a Twelver Shia marja' and the second and current supreme leader of Iran , in office since 1989 . Previously, he served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei is the longest serving head of state in the Middle East, as well as the second-longest serving Iranian leader of the last century, after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi . According to his official website, Khamenei was arrested six times before being sent into exile for three years during Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's reign. After the Iranian revolution overthrowing the shah, he was the target of an attempted assassination in June 1981 that paralyzed his right arm. Khamenei was one of Iran's leaders during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s, and developed close ties with the now powerful Revolutionary Guards which he controls, and whose commanders are elected and dismissed by him. The Revolutionary Guards have been deployed to suppress opposition to him. Khamenei served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989, while becoming a close ally of the first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini . Shortly before his death, Khomeini had a disagreement with the heir he had chosen – Hussein Ali Montazeri – so there was no agreed-on successor when Khomeini died. The Assembly of Experts elected Khamenei as the next supreme leader on 4 June 1989, at age 50. According to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani , Khamenei was the man Khomeini had chosen as his successor before dying. Khamenei has been head of the servants of Astan Quds Razavi since 14 April 1979. As supreme leader, Khamenei is the most powerful political authority in the Islamic Republic. He is the head of state of Iran , the commander-in-chief of its armed forces , and can issue decrees and make the final decisions on the main policies of the government in many fields such as economy, the environment, foreign policy, and national planning in Iran. As supreme leader, Khamenei has either direct or indirect control over the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, as well as the military and media, according to Karim Sadjadpour . All candidates for the Assembly of Experts, the Presidency and the Majlis (Parliament) are vetted by the Guardian Council , whose members are selected directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader of Iran. There have also been instances when the Guardian Council reversed its ban on particular people after being ordered to do so by Khamenei. There have been major protests during Khamenei's reign, including the 1994 Qazvin protests, the 1999 student protests , the 2009 presidential election protests , the 2011–12 protests , the 2017–18 protests , the 2018–19 general strikes and protests , the 2019–20 protests , the 2021–22 protests , and the ongoing Mahsa Amini protests . Journalists, bloggers and others have been imprisoned in Iran for insulting Supreme Leader Khamenei, often in conjunction with blasphemy charges. Their sentences have included lashing and jail time; some have died in custody. Regarding the nuclear program of Iran , Khamenei issued a fatwa in 2003 forbidding the production, stockpiling and use of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction. "letter to Hashemi Rafsanjani and resignation from presidency" (in Persian). "A photo of Identity document of Ayatollah Khamenei" (in Persian). "روایتی از تاریخ دقیق تولد رهبر انقلاب از زبان معظم‌له+عکس" . مشرق نیوز . 16 April 2016. "جامعه روحانيت مبارز جوان مي‌شود" [Combatant Clergy Association gets younger] (in Persian). "توضیحات مجلس خبرگان درباره جلسه انتخاب آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای به عنوان رهبر در سال 1368/ آیت‌الله گلپایگانی فقط 14 رأی داشت" . پایگاه خبری تحلیلی انتخاب – Entekhab.ir . "taking look at the biography of Ali Khamenei" . khamenei (fa) . 21 March 2014 . The government monitored meetings, movements, and communications of its citizens and often charged persons with crimes against national security and insulting the regime based on letters, e-mails, and other public and private communications. Khamenei has kept a low profile Agence France Presse, 20 June 2009. Khamenei has strengthened alliances with militant commanders, especially within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in the hope that all opposition to his authority will continue to be suppressed—as it was during the protests of 2009. "انتصاب آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای به عنوان رئیس خدمه‌ی آستان قدس رضوی" . farsi.khamenei.ir . khamenei.ir. 14 April 1979. "Khamenei outlines 14-point plan to increase population" . 22 May 2014. During the year the government arrested students, journalists, lawyers, political activists, women's activists, artists, and members of religious minorities; charged many with crimes such as "propaganda against the system" and "insulting the supreme leader;" and treated such cases as national security trials (see sections 1.a. through 1.e.; section 6, Women; and section 7.a.).

Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989 "Khamenei" redirects here. Ali Hosseini Khamenei (born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years, makes him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East and the second-longest-serving Iranian leader of the 20th and 21st centuries, after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi . Born in Mashhad to the Khamenei family originating from the town of Khamaneh , East Azerbaijan province, Ali Khamenei studied at a hawza in his hometown, later settling in Qom in 1958 where he attended the classes of Ruhollah Khomeini . Khamenei became involved in opposition to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , the shah of Iran, and was arrested six times before being exiled for three years by the Shah's regime. Khamenei was a mainstream figure in the Iranian Revolution (1978–1979), and upon its success, held many posts in the newly-established Islamic Republic of Iran . In the aftermath of the revolution, he was the target of an attempted assassination that paralysed his right arm. Khamenei served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989 during the Iran–Iraq War , when he also developed close ties the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). After the death of Khomeini in 1989, Khamenei was elected supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts . As supreme leader, Khamenei promoted scientific progress in Iran , making considerable advances through education and training , despite international sanctions . He supported Iran's nuclear program for civilian use while issuing a fatwa forbidding the production of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction. Khamenei favoured economic privatization of state-owned industries and, with oil and gas reserves , transformed Iran into an " energy superpower ". With his foreign policy being centered on Shia Islamism and exporting the Iranian Revolution , Iran supported the " Axis of Resistance " coalition in the Iraq War , the Syrian civil war and the Yemeni civil war . A staunch critic of Israel and of Zionism , he is known for his support of the Palestinians in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict . Khamenei has also faced many protests during his reign, including the 2009 presidential election protests , 2018–2019 general strikes and protests and the Mahsa Amini protests . The subject of a pervasive cult of personality , Khamenei is regarded by his supporters as a resolute anti-imperialist leader who challenged Western hegemony in the region and the embodiment of Iran's Islamic identity . He is also known by the title Ayatollah and is considered one of the leading Shia Muslim marja in the world. Khamenei's critics view him as a despot responsible for repression, mass murders and other acts of injustice , although the applicability of these have been contested. "توضیحات مجلس خبرگان درباره جلسه انتخاب آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای به عنوان رهبر در سال 1368/ آیت‌الله گلپایگانی فقط 14 رأی داشت" . "A photo of Identity document of Ayatollah Khamenei" . farsi.khamenei.ir (in Persian). 1 February 2010. "جامعه روحانيت مبارز جوان مي‌شود" [Combatant Clergy Association gets younger] (in Persian).