Iran's Supreme Leader Sayyed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Killed in US-Israel Strikes
: Sayyed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who served as Iran’s Supreme Leader for nearly 37 years, was one of the country’s most influential leaders. As the Islamic Republic’s highest political and religious authority, he oversaw key decisions on defence, foreign policy, the armed forces and the nuclear programme during decades marked by regional conflicts, international sanctions and domestic unrest. The 86-year-old cleric was killed in the US-Israel strikes on Tehran on February 28, 2026. Iran began six days of funeral ceremonies on Saturday, July 4, with events in Tehran continuing through Sunday, July 5. The ceremonies will then move to Qom on Tuesday, July 7, followed by memorial gatherings in Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday, July 8, before concluding with his burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad on Thursday, July 9. Khamenei became Iran’s second Supreme Leader in 1989 after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Born on April 19, 1939, in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei was raised in a modest religious family. His father, Javad Hosseini Khamenei, was a Shiite cleric, while his mother encouraged his interest in Persian literature and the Quran. He received his early religious education in Mashhad before continuing his studies at seminaries in Najaf, Iraq, and later in Qom. There, he came under the influence of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, whose opposition to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi inspired many young clerics. During the 1960s and 1970s, Khamenei became involved in the movement against the Shah. According to the BBC , he was arrested several times by the Shah’s secret police, SAVAK, and spent periods in prison, internal exile and hiding because of his political activities. Khamenei married Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh in 1964, and the couple had six children — four sons and two daughters. Although his family generally remained out of the public eye, his second son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeded him as Iran’s third Supreme Leader after his death. His sister, Badri Hosseini Khamenei, later became a critic of the Islamic Republic and lived outside Iran for many years, Reuters reported. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khomeini appointed Khamenei as Tehran’s Friday prayer leader. His nationally broadcast sermons helped establish him as one of the prominent figures in the newly formed Islamic Republic. Later that year, revolutionary students seized the US Embassy in Tehran after the United States admitted the deposed Shah for medical treatment. Khamenei supported the takeover, which led to the 444-day hostage crisis and marked the beginning of decades of strained relations between Tehran and Washington. In June 1981, Khamenei survived an assassination attempt when a bomb hidden inside a tape recorder exploded while he was delivering a speech. He suffered serious injuries and permanently lost the full use of his right arm. A few months later, President Mohammad Ali Rajai was killed in a bomb attack. Khamenei was elected president and served from 1981 to 1989, leading the country during the final years of the Iran-Iraq War. Following Khomeini’s death in June 1989, the Assembly of Experts selected Khamenei as Iran’s second Supreme Leader after constitutional changes enabled him to assume the country’s highest office. He would remain in the role until his death, becoming Iran’s longest-serving Supreme Leader. Khamenei led Iran through a period of profound political, economic and security challenges. During his nearly four decades in office, he worked with six presidents, while the Supreme Leader remained the country’s ultimate authority on major state affairs. Following the Iran-Iraq War, Khamenei expanded the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which grew into one of Iran’s most powerful military, political and economic institutions. According to the Associated Press , the IRGC became a central pillar of the Islamic Republic during his leadership, extending its influence well beyond defence into key sectors of the economy. Iran’s domestic politics alternated between reformist and conservative governments. The election of Mohammad Khatami in 1997 raised expectations of greater political and social reforms, while Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in 2005 marked a return to conservative leadership. Khamenei’s rule also saw repeated waves of anti-government protests. Demonstrations in 1999, 2009, 2017, 2019 and 2022 were driven by political, economic and social grievances. Human rights organisations accused the authorities of using excessive force against protesters, while Iranian officials defended the security response as necessary to maintain public order. Beyond Iran’s borders, Khamenei pursued a policy aimed at expanding the country’s influence across the Middle East. Tehran strengthened ties with Hezbollah in Lebanon, supported Hamas in Gaza and provided military and political backing to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian conflict. The United States and several Western governments also accused Iran of supporting armed groups in Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, allegations Tehran consistently denied. Iran also played a major role in the campaign against the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria through the IRGC’s Quds Force. Relations with Israel and the United States remained strained throughout his rule. In January 2020, a US drone strike in Baghdad killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, further increasing tensions between Tehran and Washington. Khamenei consistently defended Iran’s right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and said nuclear weapons were forbidden under Islamic law. In 2015, Iran reached a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers in exchange for sanctions relief. The deal began to unravel in 2018 after the United States withdrew during President Donald Trump’s first term and reimposed sanctions. Iran later reduced its commitments under the agreement and expanded uranium enrichment, while efforts to revive the accord failed to produce a breakthrough. Regional tensions escalated further in June 2025 when Israel launched strikes on Iranian facilities linked to its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Iran responded with missile attacks on Israeli cities. The conflict widened after the United States struck three key Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting Khamenei to declare that Iran would not surrender. In January 2026, Iran experienced another wave of protests linked to the country’s worsening economic crisis. Human rights groups reported a broad security crackdown during the unrest. Khamenei’s death brought to a close nearly four decades at the helm of the Islamic Republic. He leaves behind a legacy that continues to shape Iran’s domestic politics, regional policies and relations with the wider world.
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