A new era is opening in Iran with the death of Ali Khamenei. The Supreme Leader was not only the highest religious authority in the country, but also embodied its anti-Israeli and anti-American policies for thirty-seven years. At 86 years old, the man, rarely seen smiling, was the dean of leaders in the Middle East. His portraits flooded the streets of Tehran and other cities across the country. But for several months, the old man knew he was being hunted.
He had not appeared in public since the twelve-day war in June 2025, launched by Israel to try to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. Ali Khamenei’s rare speeches were recorded and then broadcast.
The son of an imam from the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, had long been a faithful follower of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini, the first Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic who overthrew Iran’s authoritarian Shah in February 1979.
Khamenei proved himself as president during the eight years of the terrible and deadly war with Iraq, which reportedly claimed over one million lives in Iran. Naturally, he was chosen to succeed Khomeini after his death in June 1989.
He, who boasted of loving Victor Hugo and “Les Misérables,” gradually transformed his position into relentless personal power. As the supreme decision-maker, he became increasingly criticized in recent years for his uncompromising stance on the nuclear program, isolating the country on the international stage and leading to a deterioration of the economy, due to sanctions. In fact, it was the unprecedented economic crisis that triggered the protests in the market at the end of December, which spread throughout the country in January.
