Sayyid 'Ali Ḥusaynī Khāmina'ī (1939 – 2026), known as "The Martyr Leader" and "Imam Khamenei", was the second Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a Marja' for Shia Muslims worldwide. Before the Islamic Revolution of Iran, he was active in opposing the Pahlavi regime and spent time in prison and in exile for his revolutionary activities. After the revolution, he held various positions, including two terms as president (1981–1989), a short period in the Iranian Parliament, and Imam of Friday prayer in Tehran. In 1989, he was elected as the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and remained in this position until his martyrdom in February 2026.
Ayatollah Khamenei held distinct jurisprudential and political views, including the prohibition of Qama-zani (self-flagellation), the prohibition of insulting Sunni sanctities, opposition to the use of nuclear weapons, support for the Resistance Front, confronting cultural invasion, and advocating for a resistance economy. Regarding the Palestinian issue, he proposed a referendum as the solution. He viewed jihad beyond its military dimension and emphasized the necessity of "Jihad of Clarification".
He had a deep interest in literature and contemporary history and composed poetry under the pen name "Amīn." His works include An Outline of Islamic Thought in the Quran, A 250-Year-Old Person, Ghina', and Palestine. He began his religious studies in childhood and studied and taught in the seminaries of Mashhad, Najaf, and Qom, studying under scholars such as Imam Khomeini and 'Allama Tabataba'i.
During his leadership, Ayatollah Khamenei annually sent messages to the Hajj pilgrimage, emphasized the unity of Muslims, strengthened the Axis of Resistance, directed Iran's foreign and military policies, established and supported research and educational institutions in the seminary system, and promoted Islamic culture.
Ayatollah Khamenei was martyred on the morning of Saturday, 10 Ramadan 1447/28 February 2026, as a result of American and Israeli missile strikes on the Leader's compound.
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