Who was Khamenei, feared by the U.S. and respected across the Arab world?

February 28, 2026 became a point of no return for the Middle East. As a result of a joint U.S.-Israeli air operation, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. His death marked the end of the longest and most controversial period in the Islamic Republic’s history — a 36-year rule (1989–2026).

Khamenei was not merely a politician but the architect of a system that transformed Iran from a country mired in economic crisis into a new military-political power. His path toward absolute authority began with the 1979 Islamic Revolution and was further solidified after a 1981 assassination attempt. Severely injured in that attack, which left his right arm paralyzed, Khamenei acquired the status of a “living martyr.”

Early years

Ali Khamenei was born on April 19, 1939, in the city of Mashhad into a family of religious scholars. His political journey began with deep religious education. At the age of 13, he began studying in Shiite seminaries and later continued his education in Qom and Najaf under the direct mentorship of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. It was during those years that a close relationship developed, one that would shape Iran’s future.

From the early 1960s, Khamenei became an active participant in the underground movement against the Shah’s regime. He was repeatedly arrested and subjected to torture by the country’s security and intelligence services, which only strengthened his reputation among Islamic leaders as an uncompromising fighter.

Islamic Revolution and rise to power

During the 1978–1979 Islamic Revolution, 40-year-old Khamenei became one of Ayatollah Khomeini’s closest ideological allies. He joined the Revolutionary Council and later became one of the founders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which would serve as a cornerstone of his political power. His appointment as Tehran’s Friday prayer leader provided him with a powerful platform to influence the public.

At the height of revolutionary terror in 1981, a turning point occurred that permanently altered both his physical condition and political trajectory. On June 27, during a speech at Tehran’s Abuzar Mosque, an explosive device hidden in a tape recorder detonated. Khamenei miraculously survived, but the attack left his right arm permanently paralyzed.

Rather than weakening him, the incident elevated his standing. He was seen as a devoted figure willing to sacrifice himself for the Islamic system — a “living martyr.” The injury became a powerful political symbol that strengthened his authority among conservative circles and paved the way for his election as president later that year. He held the presidency until 1989, when Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, died. Millions poured into the streets of Tehran during the funeral. Uncontrollable crowd crushes reportedly resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries.

Supreme Leader

Khomeini’s death in 1989 opened a new chapter. The Assembly of Experts elected Khamenei as the second Supreme Leader. Constitutional amendments granted him unprecedented powers: he assumed direct control over the armed forces, the judiciary, state media and all security structures. In 1994, he adopted the title of Grand Ayatollah, reinforcing his authority as a leading Shiite marja for millions of followers.

Despite internal and external pressure, Khamenei positioned himself as the guarantor that Iran would not deviate from its theocratic path. One of the most significant projects of his leadership was the nuclear program. He maintained a delicate balance: publicly issuing a fatwa prohibiting nuclear weapons while simultaneously promoting nuclear technology as a symbol of national sovereignty and a key instrument of leverage against the West.

In foreign policy, Khamenei sharply criticized the United States as a symbol of “global arrogance” and referred to Israel as an “illegitimate occupying regime.” Under his patronage, Iran built one of the region’s most influential networks of proxy forces, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen.

Under Khamenei’s leadership, Iran significantly expanded its regional influence. However, this elevated status came at a heavy cost. His decision to frame the nuclear program as a matter of national pride contributed to decades of sanctions and economic isolation. Confrontation with the West left the economy in a state of chronic crisis.

If Iran ranked 21st globally in GDP in 1989, by 2024 it had fallen 14 places to 35th. By the end of 2025, inflation had surpassed 48 percent, depriving millions of Iranians of hope for a decent standard of living.

The regime’s iron fist

No modern Iranian leader faced as many internal protests as Ali Khamenei. Yet he responded to each with demonstrative force. Domestically, he built a system that suppressed opposition harshly and equated dissent with treason. During his 36-year rule, Iran was shaken by repeated uprisings:

1999 Student Protests: The first serious test of his authority. Demonstrations that began at Tehran University over the closure of reformist newspapers escalated into widespread clashes. The regime responded with raids on dormitories and mass arrests.

2009 Green Movement: Millions filled Tehran’s streets, accusing the authorities of rigging the presidential election. Dozens were killed and opposition leaders were detained.

2017–2018 Economic Protests: Initially sparked by rising food prices in Mashhad, the unrest quickly spread to more than 80 cities. For the first time, slogans directly targeted the Supreme Leader, including “Death to the dictator.”

2019 “Bloody November”: Protests triggered by fuel price hikes led the government to shut down the internet nationwide and open fire on demonstrators. According to international organizations, nearly 1,500 people were killed within days.

2022–2023 Protests: The uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini struck at the ideological core of Khamenei’s system. The authorities responded with executions of alleged organizers, mass detentions and the use of live ammunition against protesters.

2025–2026 Final wave: The largest uprising in the republic’s history, fueled by total economic collapse. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), more than 7,000 people were killed during the January 2026 crackdown, while the government acknowledged over 3,000 deaths.

Personal life and death

In 1964, Ali Khamenei married Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, and they had six children. Unlike Western “first ladies,” his wife maintained an extremely private life, dedicating herself to family and remaining largely out of the public eye. In his public persona, Khamenei combined the roles of supreme religious authority, head of state and symbol of the Islamic Revolution, emphasizing simplicity and asceticism.

On February 28, 2026, Khamenei was killed along with his daughter, son-in-law and grandson in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran. Under Iran’s constitution, interim leadership passed to a council composed of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and a member of the Guardian Council.

Aziz Soliyev