Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Iran's shadow ruler and architect of a military‑dominated state

Khamenei’s nearly four-decade rule transformed Iran into a military-dominated theocracy, prioritising regime survival over citizens’ welfare.

• Ayatollah Khamenei reportedly killed in US-Israeli missile strike
• Iran retaliated with attacks on US bases and allies in the region
• Khamenei ruled Iran with near-absolute authority since 1989

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and the country’s longest-serving ruler, was reportedly killed Saturday in a massive US and Israeli missile strike, President Donald Trump said. Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history” and urged Iranians to rise against the clerical regime. Iranian authorities have not independently confirmed his death.

The strikes, described by the Israeli military as the largest air raid in its history, targeted IRGC command centers, missile and drone launch sites, and Tehran government facilities.

Israel reported the deaths of IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour and senior advisor Ali Shamkhani. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks across the Middle East, hitting US bases and allies in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Civilian casualties were reported, including at least one death in Abu Dhabi and another in Tel Aviv.

Early life and revolutionary roots

Khamenei was born in 1939 in Mashhad, a religious city in northeastern Iran, to a clerical family. From a young age, he gravitated toward Shiite scholars who fused political absolutism with theology. He became a militant cleric, opposing the US-backed Shah, and endured torture and solitary confinement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei became a key aide to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. In 1981, a bomb attack by rival factions left his dominant right hand paralyzed, yet he survived to consolidate influence within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Later that year, after the assassination of President Mohammad Ali Rajai and other officials, Khamenei emerged as a key power figure.

Ascension to Supreme Leader

When Khomeini died in 1989, Iran lacked a clear successor.

Khamenei, recently returned from trips to North Korea and China and a relatively junior cleric, was promoted to Ayatollah in a blend of religious and political maneuvering. Critics argued the promotion compromised clerical tradition, but Khamenei reinforced his position by elevating the IRGC to near co-ruler status, giving him direct control over Iran’s military, political, and economic power.

Rule defined by control and repression

Over the next 37 years, Khamenei ruled Iran with near-absolute authority. He used the IRGC to dominate industry, infrastructure, and security, controlling roughly 30 percent of Iran’s economy, according to ex-dissident IRGC founder Mohsen Sazegara. Investigations by Reuters and Bloomberg estimated his personal network held $95 billion in assets, while his son Mojtaba owned over $100 million in luxury properties abroad, fuelling widespread public resentment amid poverty and malnutrition.

Khamenei’s rule was marked by political repression. He stifled reformist movements, closed newspapers, barred candidates from elections, and jailed or silenced dissenters. After the disputed 2009 presidential election, in which reformists appeared victorious, Khamenei ordered a brutal crackdown, resulting in thousands of deaths. By the end of 2025, senior officials estimated 30,000 people had been killed in regime suppression.

Military strategy and regional Influence

Khamenei framed Iran’s foreign policy as a defiance of the West, dubbing the US the “Great Satan.” He cultivated Iran’s network of proxy forces across Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Gaza, and Lebanon, maintaining pressure on Israel and countering US influence. He considered the late Qasem Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike in 2020, as a surrogate son and military strategist for his regional operations.

In his later years, Khamenei increasingly relied on underground bunkers in Tehran, avoiding public appearances and meetings with Iran’s elected president. “An aircraft carrier is a dangerous machine,” he said in a February 2026 speech. “But even more dangerous than that is the weapon capable of sending it to the bottom of the sea,” reflecting his emphasis on missile deterrence.

Khamenei’s nearly four-decade rule transformed Iran into a military-dominated theocracy, prioritising regime survival over citizens’ welfare. He maintained a public image of modesty and religious devotion, but privately oversaw an expansive network of political, economic, and military power.

Exiled Iranian opposition leader and crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, hailed the reported demise, calling Khamenei “the bloodthirsty despot of our time” and claiming the Islamic Republic had “effectively come to an end.” Pahlavi urged Iranians to “stay vigilant” and be prepared for a decisive presence in the streets, presenting himself as a potential transitional figure toward a secular democracy, though he lacks universal support among opposition groups.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also encouraged Iranians to act, stating, “This is your time to join forces, to overthrow the regime and to secure your future.” Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, vowed defiance, “The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors."