Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been the supreme leader of Iran since 1989, when he took over from the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Born in Mashhad on July 17, 1939, Khamenei grew up in a family of the Azeri minority and was influenced early on by Khomeini, whom he met in 1957. His political activism began in earnest in the 1970s, leading to multiple imprisonments and an eventual exile to a remote region of Iran. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei swiftly rose through the ranks, becoming deputy defense minister and then head of the Revolutionary Guards.

In 1981, Khamenei made history by becoming the first cleric to be elected president of Iran, serving two terms until 1989, when he ascended to the role of supreme leader after Khomeini's death. His tenure as president was marked by significant challenges, including a bomb attack in 1981 that resulted in lasting injuries to his hand. Khamenei's leadership style and political strategies have since shaped the direction of Iran's domestic and foreign policies, maintaining the Islamic Republic's revolutionary ideals while navigating complex geopolitical landscapes.

As the supreme leader, Khamenei holds vast powers over all branches of government, including the military and media, and has been a central figure in Iran's ongoing tensions with the West. The implications of his decisions resonate beyond Iran's borders, affecting relations across the Middle East and with world powers, as Khamenei continues to push for an ideological stance that often clashes with Western values and interests.