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Ali Khamenei

Ali Hosseini Khamenei was an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who led Iran as Supreme Leader for 36 years.

Ali Khamenei is one of 1179 people in the A–Z index, listed under A.

Is Ali Khamenei dead or alive?

Who is Ali Khamenei?

Ali Khamenei is best known for Longest-serving Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in 2026. On Dead or Alive, Ali Khamenei is listed in the World Leaders 80s category, where you can test yourself on similar names. Dead or Alive is a trivia game: you decide whether a famous person is still alive, then see the answer. The status for Ali Khamenei is checked against public sources such as Wikidata and is shown only after you answer.

Facts

Known for: Longest-serving Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in 2026
Listed under: World Leaders 80s

About Ali Khamenei

His 36-year tenure makes him Iran's longest-serving supreme leader. Khamenei became involved in opposition to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and was arrested six times before being exiled for three years by the Pahlavi government. Khamenei was a mainstream figure in the Iranian Revolution, and upon its success, held many posts in the newly established Islamic republic. Khamenei served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989 during the Iran–Iraq War, when he also developed close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). During the deliberations, Khamenei expressed reservations about his own religious qualifications and suitability for the position, as he was a mid-ranking cleric and did not meet the constitutional requirement of marja'. The constitution was subsequently amended to remove that requirement, and the Assembly reconfirmed his leadership later that year. As supreme leader, Khamenei supported Iran's nuclear program for civilian use while issuing a fatwa forbidding the production of weapons of mass destruction. In 2015, Khamenei endorsed the Iran nuclear deal, which restricted Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, but the agreement unraveled after the United States withdrew from it in 2018. He favoured economic privatization of Iranian state-owned industries and, using its oil and gas reserves, transformed Iran into an "energy superpower". His foreign policy centered on Shia Islamism and exporting the Islamic Revolution.

Text from the Wikipedia article Ali Khamenei, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Sentences about life status are left out so the game is not spoiled.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ali Khamenei known for?

Ali Khamenei is known for Longest-serving Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in 2026.

Which Dead or Alive categories include Ali Khamenei?

Ali Khamenei appears in World Leaders 80s.

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