Ayatollah Ali Khame

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has been in power since 1989. He is a controversial figure, with some praising his leadership while others criticize his human rights record.

Khamenei was born in Mashhad, Iran, in 1939. He studied Islamic law and theology in Qom, and became a close associate of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Khamenei was appointed president of Iran, a position he held until 1989. In 1989, he was elected supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics who are elected by the Iranian people.

As supreme leader, Khamenei is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He also has the power to appoint and dismiss the president and other top government officials. Khamenei is a conservative cleric who has been criticized for his authoritarian rule and his support for the Iranian regime's human rights abuses.

In recent years, Khamenei's health has been the subject of much speculation. In 2014, he underwent prostate surgery, and in 2016, he was hospitalized for a heart condition. There have been rumors that Khamenei is suffering from cancer, but these rumors have been denied by Iranian officials.

The question of Khamenei's successor is a major concern for Iran and the world. If Khamenei were to die or become incapacitated, there is no clear successor in place. This could lead to a power struggle within the Iranian regime, which could destabilize the country and the region.