Ali Khamenei : Ask Biography

Personal data

Date of birth

17 July 1939(age 76)

Place of birth

Mashhad, Iran

Political party

Combatant Clergy Association
(1977 � present)

Other party

Islamic Republic Party
(1979 � 1987)

Spouse

Khojaste Khamenei (1964 � present)

Children

Mojtaba, Mostafa, Masoud, Meysam, Hoda and Boshra

Religion

Twelver Shi'a Islam

Supreme Leader of Iran

Assumed office

4 June 1989

President

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Mohammad Khatami
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Prime minister

Mir-Hossein Mousavi

Preceded by

Ruhollah Khomeini

3rd President of Iran

In office

13 October 1981 - 3 August 1989

Prime minister

Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi
Mir-Hossein Mousavi

Succeeded by

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

Preceded by

Mohammad Ali Rajai

Leader of IRP

In office

30 August 1981 - 15 May 1987

Deputy

Mir-Hossein Mousavi

Succeeded by

Party dissolved

Preceded by

Mohammad-Javad Bahonar

Member of Parliament of Iran

In office

3 May 1980 - 13 October 1981

Constituency

Tehran

Home | Office Holder | Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i ( , , -faʔæˈliː hoseiˈniː xɒːmeneˈʔiːpronSeyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, is an Iranian politician as the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja. In 2010, Forbes selected him 26th in the list of 'World's Most Powerful People'.

He was president of Iran from 1981 to 1989, and has been Supreme Leader of Iran since June 1989 when the Assembly of Experts appointed him to succeed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He has been described as one of only three people having "important influences" on the Islamic Republic of Iran (the other two being the founder of the republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the president of Iran for much of the 1990s, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani). So far, the biggest challenge to his leadership has been the mass protests following the June 2009 presidential elections. Khamenei, however, continued to strongly support Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policies and re-election.

Khamenei was the victim of an attack aimed to assassinate him in June 1981 which paralyzed his right arm.