“poetry must be the vanguard of the caravan of the [Islamic] revolution ... [T]hrough the arts and literature, the revolution can be exported more easily and honestly.”
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Ali Khamenei
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 2026. A member of the Khamenei family who held the title Grand Ayatollah, he previously served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His 36-year tenure as supreme leader made him the longest-serving head of state in West Asia at the time o…
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politics · Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 to 2026 · Islamic jurist · politician · translator · writer · poet · cleric · also Ali Khamenei, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Ayatollah Khamenei, Khamenei
Born 19 April 1939 · Died 28 February 2026 · Q57336
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Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei and the Claim of Speaking with God
Speech by Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader of Iran, from Khamenei.ir) on December 31, 2023. · CC BY 4.0
Supreme Leader of Iran Khamenei Denying Holocaust
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Ali Khamenei speech at the Hussainiya of Lovers of Karbala, Sari - 14 October 1995 (13740722 2546)
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2026· 41 entries
“t immediately stop them ... [an] official ... added that Khamenei made clear the demonstrations required a forceful response ... [the official said]”
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The Lufkin Daily News: FILE PHOTO: People walk by a mural depicting Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran
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News On AIR: Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi named as country’s interim Supreme Leader after killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli airstrikes.
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ABNA English: Fortieth-Day Memorial Held in Haryana for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
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lafolkargentina.com.ar: Donald Trump: “La mayoría de las personas que teníamos en mente para suceder a Ali Khamenei están muertas”
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The Australian Jewish News: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was no Pope
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Mshale: Funeral Of Iran's Former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Thiago Agustín Tirante (KHJRfhZGE7)
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Mshale: Iran To Use Former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s Funeral As A ‘political Statement’ Flamingo Land (rYqpP0D4ag)
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Mshale: LIVE: Funeral Ceremony For Late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | International Delegates Participate | Iran Raffica Di Vento (s7Y0stKlvZ)
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intpolicydigest.org: Who Really Runs Iran After Khamenei?
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Mshale: LIVE | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Laid To Rest In Mashhad After Funeral Procession | APT Prudential Center (ouz2g4xoUC)
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Iran International: Iran student expelled from university after ‘Rat Ali’ protest mocking Khamenei
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MTV Lebanon: Iran to hold mourning events for Ali Khamenei
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ABNA English: Indian Shia Cleric Condemns Alleged Derogatory Remarks Against Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei
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Mshale: Ali Khamenei Funeral LIVE | Funeral Ceremony For Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Iran Khamenei Funeral LIVE Sporting Life 10k Route (tJbyxTa0gK)
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taghribnews.com: Imam Sayed Ali Khamenei: Strait of Hormuz is the regional spine of imperialism
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Iran International: Iran Supreme Leader’s office announces memorials for Ali Khamenei
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Mshale: Thousands Gather For Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Funeral In Tehran Jill Kargman (7CZYPbWMU3)
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KNS Kashmir: Derogatory Remarks Against Martyred Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Unacceptable: Aga Syed Hassan
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Mshale: Ali Khamenei Funeral | NDTV Ground Report: Tehran Unites At Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Funeral Sevilla Vs Espanyol (PzrJTgWAYo)
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lafolkargentina.com.ar: Mojtaba Khamenei es el nuevo líder supremo del régimen de Irán
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Mshale: 🔴LIVE || Iran's Martyred Leader Ali Khamenei Funeral Prayers || ARY News Live Virginia Foxx Letter (7xSg6ChSKA)
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Mshale: Khamenei Funeral LIVE | Ali Khamenei Funeral LIVE | Tehran News LIVE | Iran Khamenei Funeral LIVE Tariff (0fclXynD6N)
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Mshale: Massive Crowds Attend Funeral Ceremony For Ayatollah Ali Khamenei In Mashhad, Iran Iran Oil Tanker (IXXIhvNfVV)
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خبرگزاری فارس: Farsnews | Ayatollah Khamenei Makes New Appointments to Top Military Posts
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Snopes rated the claim “In July 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump said his funeral will draw a much bigger crowd than Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral.” Originated as Satire.
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Public attention spiked: 25,598 Wikipedia readers in one day, 4.5× the usual 5,669, with 4 article edits. Editors noted: Khamenei was referred to as Grand Ayatollah see https://en.mfa.gov.ir/portal/newsview/784042/Statement-on-the-Martyrdom-of-the-Supreme-Leader-Grand-Ayatollah-Kh
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Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka rated the claim “Images and videos claiming to show the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei” False, AI-generated.
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fact checker rated the claim “The funeral procession of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.” fake.
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Public attention spiked: 36,025 Wikipedia readers in one day, 6.4× the usual 5,669, with 24 article edits. Editors noted: Assassination repetitive
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fact checker rated the claim “Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has been killed in an Israeli missile strike, reportedly in Tehran.” misleading.
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Snopes.com rated the claim “A video shared on social media in March 2026 authentically depicted U.S. President Donald Trump showing Fox News host Laura Ingraham a framed cardboard image of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.” Fake.
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fact checker rated the claim “Trump unveiling an image of Mojtaba Khamenei, claiming he placed it in his White House office.” fake.
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Rumor Scanner rated the claim “Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself stated in a video message that he is alive and the news of his death is false.” False.
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The Quint rated the claim “This video shows an Iranian general who shot himself on camera as he revealed Khamenei's location before his death.” False.
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DW.com rated the claim “In this post on X, a user claims that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's recently assassinated supreme leader, was also killed in US strikes in Tehran. The post has 2.6 million views at the time of writing.” Unproven.
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Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka rated the claim “The video shows an Iranian military general confessing that he betrayed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, before dying by suicide during a live broadcast.” Misleading.
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DW.com rated the claim “One user on Facebook claims that a video shows a funeral procession for Iran's late surpeme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The video has been watched over 90,000 times and was shared with the same claim on several other social media platforms (TikTok, X, Instagram).” False.
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AFP Fact Check rated the claim “CBC published an AI-generated photo following death of Khamenei” False.
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Died 2026-02-28.
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2025· 1 entry
And 2026, tensions with Israel and the United States escalated into the Twelve-Day War and an ongoing conflict, during the latter of which Khamenei was assassinated
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2024· 2 entries
Which garnered a harsh reaction from the United States
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Said that while speaking to his military he had been saying what words God put in his tongue
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2017· 1 entry
Issued a fatwa stating that women should avoid riding bicycles in the presence of non-Mahram men, while indicating it may be permissible if modesty guidelines are observed, that it "not attract strangers
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2016· 3 entries
Khamenei, who outlined the elections guidelines "in line with Article 110 of Iran's Constitution", asked to maximise the amount of transparency in elections in Iran, using modern technologies
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Khamenei advised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his former ally with whom his relationship was strained after Ahmadinejad accused his son Mojtaba Khamenei of embezzling from the state treasury, to not run for president again
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That Khamenei was seen riding around in a BMW car and published a picture of him exiting one
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2015· 2 entries
That Khamenei had prostate cancer with two years left to live
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“To the Youth in Europe and North America”
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2014· 2 entries
“the Holocaust is an event whose reality is uncertain and if it has happened, it”
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Eight men, including a Briton, were sentenced to 19 to 20 years for insulting Khamenei and other charges relating to Facebook comments
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2013· 1 entry
Damien McElroy and Ahmad Vahdat observed: "The ayatollah likes to cultivate an image of austerity but receives major commissions from the Iranian oil and arms industries and there have been regular claims that he and his
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2012· 2 entries
Khamenei ordered a halt to a parliamentary inquiry into Ahmadinejad's mishandling of the Iranian economy
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2013, and 2014, Forbes selected Khamenei as the 21st, 23rd, and 19th most powerful person in the world, respectively, in their list of The World's Most Powerful People
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2010· 2 entries
Khamenei issued a fatwa that banned any insult to the Companions of the Prophet
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Opposition activist Ahmad Gabel was sentenced to 20 months in jail for insulting Khamenei, as well as 3 additional years for possessing a satellite receiver, a 3-year exile and a fine
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2009· 3 entries
Ahmadinejad dismissed Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, an opponent of Mashaei
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As deep as 30 to 35 metres (98 to 115 ft) below ground, with a network of access and escape tunnels connecting to points across central Tehran
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Iranian blogger Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, who was arrested for insulting Khamenei in an internet post, died while in custody in Evin Prison
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2007· 2 entries
Khamenei called for privatising state-owned companies, including the telephone company, three banks and dozens of small oil and petrochemical enterprises
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Khamenei requested that government officials speed up Iran's move towards economic privatisation
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2005· 1 entry
An Iranian was jailed for two years for insulting Khamenei and Imam Khomeini while being cleared of insulting Muhammad
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2004· 1 entry
When Article 44 of the constitution was overturned
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2002· 2 entries
Khamenei ruled that human stem cell research was permissible under Islam, with the condition that it be used to create only parts instead of a whole human
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After protests erupted in the capital, Khamenei intervened against the death sentence given to Hashem Aghajari for arguing that Muslims should re-interpret Islam rather than blindly follow leaders
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2001· 1 entry
Khamenei condemned the act and the attackers, and called for a condemnation of terrorist activities all over the world but warned strongly against a military intervention in Afghanistan
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2000· 4 entries
Ali Khamenei sent a letter to the Iranian parliament forbidding the legislature from debating a revision of the Iranian press law to allow more freedom
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Khamenei sent a letter to the Iranian parliament forbidding the legislature from debating a revision of the Iranian press law to allow more press freedom
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Was listed by the Committee to Protect Journalists as "one of the top ten enemies of the press and freedom of expression", and was named to the Time 100 in 2007
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That aimed to reform the country's press law, and the disqualification of thousands of parliamentary candidates for the 2004 Iranian legislative election by the Guardian Council he appointed
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1999· 2 entries
2009, 2017–2018, 2018–2019, 2022–2023, and 2025–26
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Khamenei had issued a fatwa stating that it was permitted to use a third party (donor sperm, ova or surrogacy) in fertility treatments
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1997· 1 entry
For example, Montazeri "questioned the powers of the Leader" and was subsequently punished for his comments with the closure of his religious school, an attack on his office in Qom, and a period of house arrest
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1996· 2 entries
Abbas Maroufi was sentenced to 35 lashes and six months imprisonment for spreading lies and insulting Khamenei
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Issued a fatwa stating, "The promotion of music [both traditional and Western] in schools is contrary to the goals and teachings of Islam, regardless of age and level of study"
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1994· 1 entry
After the death of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Araki, the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom declared Khamenei a new marja'
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1989· 5 entries
Career landmark: Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces (1989–2026).
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Career landmark: Supreme Leader of Iran (1989–2026).
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Khamenei issued annual messages on the occasion of Hajj for all Muslims (pilgrims)
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Ayatollah Khomeini dismissed Ayatollah Montazeri as his political successor, giving the position to Khamenei instead
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Khamenei was elected supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts
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1988· 2 entries
Career landmark: Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council (1988–1989).
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While serving as President of Iran, Khamenei delivered a speech titled The Splendor of the Persian Language and the Need to Protect It
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1983· 1 entry
Career landmark: Member of the Assembly of Experts (1983–1989).
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1982· 1 entry
Khamenei became one of the main opponents of his own decision to counter-invade into Iraq, an opinion Khamenei shared with Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi, with whom he would later conflict during the 2009 Iranian pre
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1981· 2 entries
Career landmark: President of Iran (1981–1989).
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After the assassination of Mohammad-Ali Rajai, Khamenei was elected President of Iran by a landslide vote (97%) in the October 1981 Iranian presidential election in which only four candidates were approved by the Council
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1980· 3 entries
After the resignation of Hussein-Ali Montazeri, Ayatollah Khomeini appointed Ali Khamenei to the position of Tehran's Friday Prayers Imam
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Career landmark: Tehran's Friday Prayer Imam (1980–2026).
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Career landmark: Member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (1980–1981).
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1979· 2 entries
Career landmark: Deputy Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics of Iran (1979–1980).
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Career landmark: Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (1979–1980).
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1976· 1 entry
For three years until the end of the Shah's reign
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1958· 2 entries
Settled in Qom, where he attended the classes of Husayn Burujardi and Ruhollah Khomeini
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Where he attended the classes of Ruhollah Khomeini
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1957· 1 entry
Went to Najaf, but soon returned to Mashhad due to his father's unwillingness to let him stay there
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1939· 1 entry
Born 1939-04-19.
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