In the recent war of Iran with United States and Israel, Iran supreme leader Ayatallah Ali  Khamenei died. This death has ended era for Iran. He ruled for over 36 years. He was the  world’s most well-known figure. He was the most powerful person in his country. He ruled with an iron grip and deep distrust of the West. He started his journey from a simple religious background and later he become a very powerful personality. The rise of his power is a story of war, revolution and unwavering authority. 

Early Life and Education 

Ali Khamenei was born on 19th April, 1939 in the holy city of Mashhad in north-eastern Iran. He belongs to very religious family. He was the second of all his siblings. They were a total of eight siblings. Ali grew up in an environment surrounded by faith and study. They describe their childhood as “poor but pious”. 

He dedicated his life to Islamic learning at very young age. When he was four years old, he started learning Quran. He became a cleric when he was 11 years old. His father was also  cleric. For advance religious studies, he moved to the city of Qom, the center of Shia scholarship in Iran. He attended classes taught by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khamenei, the man  who would change Khamenei’s life forever. 

His Journey to Power 

He was not only a religious man, but also he was man of politics. In 1960’s and 1970’s, he  criticize Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He was a good public speaker. He used his religious  speeches to call for an Islamic government. This opposition come at high cost. Shah’s secret  police arrested him six time. He suffered from torture but never give up. After the 1979  Islamic Revolution, his bravery and loyalty paid off. He was appointed at important government position by new leader of Iran Rahollah Khamenei. In 1981, he was doing  speech when bomb exploded near him. He survived a brutal assassination. His right arm  permanently paralyzed during this attack. After that, he was elected as the president of Iran.  He served as a president of Iran during a war between Iran and Iraq that held for eight years. 

Becoming a Supreme Leader 

In 1989, after the death of Rahollah Khamenei, a council was held to choose a successor. Khamenei was not consider on top religious authority; he was underqualified. The assembly choose Ali  Khamenei because he was a trusted insider. After he was chosen as a leader, the country changed its rules to fit him the constitution. They changed the rule that there is no need to be the highest-ranked scholar to become supreme leader. At that time, it was rule that the supreme leader should be the most senior Shia scholar, “a marja”.

His Character and Rule 

He was the powerful person and has the highest authority as the supreme leader of Iran. He  got the power to reject any government decision. He controlled armed forces. A person  describe his roles as “part pope, part commander in chief, part chief justice” in one time. 

He was a master balancer, he balance different political group so no group became powerful enough to remove him. He lived a simple and private life in Tehran; he rarely traveled to other countries. As the time passes, his rules become more strict. He consider United State and  Israel the main enemies of Iran. He called America the “Great Satan”. He was against the  criticism and protest, so he does not allow this in Iran. 

His Death and Aftermath 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died on 28 February, 2026. He was 86 years old. This was not a natural death. He was killed by the airstrike on Tehran. Airstrikes was carried out by United  States and Israel. Iranian media state that he was killed in his office while he was on duty. Because of those airstrikes, many of his family member and top military commanders also died. The Iranian government has announced a national mourning of 40 days, with official ceremonies and holidays to honor him. His death created deep uncertainty across the region.

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