Middle East conflict: Who is Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader?

The Middle East is experiencing a complex situation due to the war between Israel and Iran. According to CNN, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei is Iran's most important religious and political figure.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran was born on July 17, 1939, in the city of Mashhad. He was the son of Sayyid Jawad Husseini Khamenei.

Seyyed Ali Khameneisus studied at the Islamic seminary in Qom, alongside religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has served as the supreme leader of Iran for 36 years, initially taking office as a provisional leader from June 4 to July 28, 1989. His candidacy was supported by a group of religious leaders who confirmed his election as supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the title of ayatollah is awarded to a person who represents a high religious authority in Shiism. They are clerics with expertise in Islamic jurisprudence, who serve as spiritual leaders in Iranian religion and politics.

The Middle East is experiencing a complex situation due to the war between Israel and Iran. According to CNN, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei is the current religious and political figure of Iran.

Khamenei began his political activism in 1962, participating in protests against the former Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

In 1977, he co-founded the Combatant Clerics Association, serving as its secretary-general until 1987. Following the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, Seyyed Ali Khamenei was elected supreme leader of Iran in 1989.

Political ideals have been clear regarding the ongoing war in the Middle East, since Iran's Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei has supported countries fighting against Israel since 2012.

In the same year, 2012, the parliamentary elections yielded 75% support for the president.

Since Iran's reelection in 2012, it has had several conflicts with the United States. One of the events that marked the history of both countries was the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani on January 5, 2020. The attack was carried out by US military drones in Baghdad.

With the pandemic, the country took precautions and banned the importation of COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and Great Britain.

In February 2024, Facebook and Instagram removed their accounts for violating policies related to dangerous organizations, Meta reported to CNN.

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