Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has died at the age of 86. Photograph: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via APWhen Ali Khamenei was nominated by senior clerics to replace Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as Iran’s supreme leader in 1989, he insisted he was underqualified. His first major test as supreme leader came in 1997, when Mohammad Khatami, a reformist cleric, won the presidency, promising political reform and improved foreign relations. Tensions between Khatami, who served until 2005, and Khamenei as the supreme leader fuelled fierce infighting within the regime. The hardliners then backed Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, but the move backfired for Khamenei when Ahmadi-Nejad turned against the supreme leader and demanded greater authority.

Source: The Irish Times March 01, 2026 10:10 UTC