Ali Khamenei
Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei is an Iranian Twelver Shia marja' and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei is the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East, as well as the second-longest-serving Iranian leader of the last century, after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Some of the key events about Ali Khamenei
- 1962Began studying under Ayatollah Khomeini, becoming one of his closest disciples
- 1979Played a key role in the Iranian Revolution that overthrew the Shah
- 1980Elected as Tehran's representative to the Iranian Parliament
- 1981Survived an assassination attempt, demonstrating resilience
- 1981Appointed as President of Iran, serving until 1989
- 1981Supported the execution of thousands of political prisoners
- 1988Approved mass executions of political prisoners
- 1989Became Supreme Leader of Iran, the country's highest-ranking political and religious authority
- 1989Established the Supreme National Security Council to manage defense and security affairs
- 1989Issued fatwa calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie
- 1997Supported the reform movement led by President Mohammad Khatami
- 1999Ordered a violent crackdown on student protesters
- 2009Endorsed Iran's nuclear program for peaceful purposes
- 2009Endorsed the violent suppression of Green Movement protesters
- 2011Supported Syrian President Assad's brutal crackdown on protesters
- 2012Expanded Iran's nuclear program despite international sanctions
- 2015Approved the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an international agreement on Iran's nuclear program
- 2015Increased support for Houthi rebels in Yemen, escalating the conflict
- 2017Ordered the arrest of reformist politicians and activists
- 2019Authorized lethal force against protesters, resulting in hundreds of deaths
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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