Ali Hosseini Khamenei (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian cleric and politician who served as the supreme leader of Iran since 1989, the second person to hold the position. He had previously served as the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years, made him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East and the longest-serving Iranian leader since Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Ali Hosseini Khamenei (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian cleric and politician who served as the supreme leader of Iran since 1989, the second person to hold the position. He had previously served as the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years, made him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East and the longest-serving Iranian leader since Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Dispatches
PBS News Hour
House of Saud: A Family at War
Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia
Russia, China, Iran: The Axis of Revenge
How Khamenei Was Killed – The Attack in Iran
A Dying King: The Shah of Iran
Salman Rushdie: Death on a Trail
Inside the Iranian Uprising
Khamenei's Last Move
Bazm-e Razm
The Green Wave