Did Khameini have wife and kids? All about slain Iranian leader's family

The 86-year-old cleric had led Iran as Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

With the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the focus is now on his family. He reportedly had six children, including three daughters, and it was not immediately clear which one was killed.

According to Iran’s state television, Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Saturday.

The 86-year-old cleric had led Iran as Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khomeini had returned from exile to spearhead the 1979 revolution that overthrew the US-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

As Supreme Leader, he held ultimate authority over the executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as the armed forces, while also acting as the country’s highest religious authority.

His wife

Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, the wife of Khamenei, seldom made public appearances. Her father, Mohammad Esmaeil Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, was a well-known businessman in Mashhad, and her brother Hassan previously served as the deputy director of the state broadcaster IRIB, as per Iran International.

Who is killed, who is alive

Reports said several members of Khamenei’s family were also killed in the strikes that began on Saturday morning, including his daughter, grandchildren, daughter-in-law and son-in-law. One grandson publicly known is Mohammad Bagher Khamenei.

Though some extended relatives are believed to reside abroad, including reports of nephews and grandsons living in Paris, his immediate family remained based in Iran.

Apart from Khamenei, the US-Israel strikes also killed other members of his family — his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law.

According to Fars news agency, after establishing contact with informed sources in the Supreme Leader’s household, the news of the martyrdom of the daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter of the Revolutionary Leader has unfortunately been confirmed.”

The identities of those who have died are yet to be determined.

The daughter-in-law has been identified as Zahra Haddad Adel, married to Mojtaba Khamenei, one of Khamenei’s sons, known for his influence in clerical and political circles.

The son-in-law has not been officially named but is described as a member of the extended leadership family.

According to reports, Boshra Khamenei and Hoda Khamenei are identified as daughters of Khamenei. Separate reports claimed that one of Khamenei’s daughters and a grandchild were killed during joint U.S.–Israeli military strikes, though the details have not been independently confirmed.