Profile of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and His Role Since 1989

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, born in 1939 in Mashhad, Iran, has been the country's Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. A religious scholar from a Shia clerical family, Khamenei played a key role in the 1979 Iranian revolution that ended the Shah's rule. Prior to becoming Supreme Leader, he served as Iran's president for eight years. He holds significant authority over Iran's government, military, judiciary, and spiritual affairs.