What to know about Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader

"Khamenei oversees Iran's judiciary, effectively controls the council that vets electoral candidates and vetoes parliamentary decisions. He commands the armed forces, the elite Revolutionary Guard and oversees state-run media. He also has discretion over how the country spends revenue from some of the world's largest oil reserves."

"Khamenei has frequently used the military to quash dissent. He often sentences his critics to prison and suppresses protests using force. In 1999 he cracked down on student demonstrations, which resulted in at least one death and 1,500 arrests. He put down protests over the disputed 2009 presidential election and a 2022 push to end the persecution of women and girls in Iran."

"He has also ordered internet blackouts, including during the recent protests, to disrupt communications and shield his regime from international scrutiny. Khamenei has preached resilience and held the regime together through multiple crises and decades of enmity with the U.S. and Israel."

Khamenei has wielded influence since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, serving as defense minister and president before becoming supreme leader in 1989 following Ayatollah Khomeini's death. He now 86 years old, maintains extensive control over Iran's institutions, including the judiciary, armed forces, Revolutionary Guard, state media, and oil revenue allocation. Throughout his tenure, Khamenei has frequently used military force to suppress dissent, imprisoning critics and violently quashing protests, including demonstrations in 1999, 2009, and 2022. He has also implemented internet blackouts during unrest. Despite international opposition, Khamenei has maintained regime stability through decades of conflict with the U.S. and Israel, making opposition to both nations central to his foreign policy.

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