Iran: Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei

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Role: Rahbar (Supreme Leader) (1989-)

The Middle East region’s longest serving head of state, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei has, since his youth, advocated for the revolutionary ideals articulated by the Islamic Republic’s first rahbar (supreme leader).

Khamenei has ruled by blending the velayat-e faqih (governance of the Islamic jurist) system’s ideology with a hard-headed and often ruthless pragmatism that has reinforced his personal power in alliance with institutions of the post-Shah state such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Pasdaran).

This has made Khamenei undoubtedly the most dominant voice in Iranian politics for more than three decades, making speculation about his successor as rahbar a critical issue.

Social media- X: @khamenei_ir

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The influence chart above illustrates the connections and relationships across key areas of Iranian politics and business, centred around Rahbar (Supreme Leader) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.