What to know about Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

South China Morning Post · Feb 28, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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When targeted by nationwide protests early this year, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei unleashed the bloodiest crackdown of his nearly four decades in power. But now a US or Israeli military strike may have ended his rule.There was no immediate Iranian comment about him Saturday after US President Donald Trump said Khamenei was dead. Israeli officials also told reporters earlier that he was killed in a major new attack by US and Israeli forces.The 86-year-old Khamenei tried to avert such strikes as the US built up its military presence in the region to pressure Tehran over its nuclear programme.He warned that if the US struck, a regional war would ensue. At the same time, he allowed Iran to enter negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme.Long before the supreme leader’s compound was among the first targets on Saturday, Khamenei was under growing pressure.People dance, chant, sing and celebrate during a rally against Iran’s ruling establishment in Los Angeles on Saturday. Photo: ReutersThe suppression of the protests, with thousands of people killed amid chants of “Death to Khamenei”, was a sign of the threat that popular anger represented. Years of sanctions, economic mismanagement and corruption have gutted Iran’s economy.

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