Historical Figure
Ali Khamenei
1939–2026
Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 to 2026
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Key Dates
Birth
1939 July 17, 1939 →Biography
Ali Hosseini Khamenei was an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the second supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in the 2026 Iran war. He previously served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years and six months, made him the longest-serving head of state in West Asia at the time of his death. He held the title of Ayatollah and was considered one of the world's leading Muslim marja'.
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Timeline
Tentative d'assassinat d'Ali Khamenei, durant le discours de prière à la mosquée Abuzar à Téhéran (Iran).
June 27 →In the 1989 Iranian Supreme Leader election, Ali Khamenei is elected as the new Supreme Leader of Iran after the death and funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini.
June 4 →Ali Khamenei is elected as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Assembly of Experts after the death and funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
June 4 →The United States and Israel launch attacks across Iran, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Retaliatory strikes are launched by Iran against US military bases in the Gulf, with explosions reported in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.
February 28 →More from the Interwar & WWII
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