Iran confirms death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Supreme Leader (Rahbar) of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died at the age of 86. This was confirmed by the State Television of Iran (IRIB) on March 1.

"The supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, His Holiness Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been assassinated," the Telegram channel said.

According to the Telegram channel of the Islamic Republic Guard Corps (IRGC), Khamenei was killed early on Saturday morning, February 28, while performing work duties at his residence.

Ali Hosseini Khamenei was born on July 17, 1939 in Mashhad. He received his religious education at seminaries in Iraq and the Iranian city of Qom, where he was mentored by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In 1962, Khamenei joined the anti-Shah movement, for which he was repeatedly arrested.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in which he played a prominent role, Khamenei participated in the creation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and was Iran's deputy defense minister. In 1980, he led Friday prayers at the University of Tehran and became a member of Parliament. In 1981, he survived an assassination attempt, having lost the mobility of his right arm.

In 1981-1989, Khamenei served as President of Iran (for two terms). After the death of Iran's first Supreme leader Khomeini in June 1989, the Council of Experts elected him the spiritual leader of Iran. Khamenei implemented a constitutional reform that cemented Rahbar's control over the army, the courts, and the media. In 1994, he received the title of Grand Ayatollah.

Khamenei became a symbol of the confrontation between the United States and Israel, but it was he who approved the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal that led to the agreement in 2015. In addition, Khamenei supported cutting-edge research in science and was proficient in Arabic and Azerbaijani.

Iran's supreme leader was married to Mansour Khojast Bagherzadeh, and the couple had six children.

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