Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in military strikes

Ali Khamenei became Iran’s supreme leader after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, despite not being viewed as his natural successor. Over the years, Khamenei consolidated power by aligning with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, enhancing their military and economic influence. His leadership faced challenges from reformist movements, but he consistently responded to protests with crackdowns. Khamenei’s foreign policy included opposing the U.S. and engaging in a nuclear deal, which he later abandoned after the U.S. withdrawal in 2018.

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