"[252], During the 2018–2019 Iranian general strikes and protests, Khameini demanded punishment for those “who disrupt economic security”. Shortly before his death, Khomeini had a disagreement with the heir he had chosen — Hussein Ali Montazeri — so there was no agreed on successor when Khomeini died. [18], According to his official website, Khamenei was arrested six times before being sent into exile for three years during Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's reign. "Ayatollah Khamenei says Iran will back 'any nations, any groups' fighting Israel", "Iran leader urges destruction of 'cancerous' Israel", "Khamenei: Israel will no longer exist in 25 years", "Iran's Supreme Leader Says Israel Won't Exist in 25 Years", "Israel's Netanyahu Returns Fire After Iran Supreme Leader's Death Threat", "The best 2015 year sentence of Iranian leader in view of Iranian people was selected", "Iranian leader backs Palestinian liberation from Israel 'tumor, "6th International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada", "Iran's Khamenei: UAE 'disgraced forever' by Israel deal", "Iran's Khamenei questions 'certainty' of Holocaust", "Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei Says Reality of Holocaust is 'Uncertain, "Oops, He Did It Again: Iran's Supreme Leader Questions the Holocaust", "Ayatollah Khamenei During His National Address", "Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei Posts Holocaust Denial Video on Remembrance Day", "Supreme leader of Iran marks Holocaust Memorial Day by publishing Holocaust denying video", "Iranian Leader Khamenei Praises French Holocaust Denier on Twitter", "BBC Mundo | Irán: advertencia con petróleo", "Leader outlines elections guidelines, calls for transparency", "Iran finally admits it shot and killed 'rioters.' But it still won't say how many people died in last month's protests", "After protests, Iran's Khamenei demands punishment for those who harm economy", "Special Report: Iran's leader ordered crackdown on unrest - 'Do whatever it takes to end it, "Iranians marched in fiery protests to demand Ayatollah Khamenei's resignation after officials shot down a commercial plane", "Iran bans 'underground university,' brands it 'extremist cult. [76], In its 10 April 1997 ruling regarding the Mykonos restaurant assassinations, the German court issued an international arrest warrant for Iranian intelligence minister Ali Fallahian[85] after declaring that the assassination had been ordered by him with knowledge of Khamenei and Rafsanjani. [70][71] According to a report by Le Figaro, Western intelligence sources said Khamenei has prostate cancer.[72][73]. ", "خبرگان رهبری – رييس مجمع تشخيص مصلحت نظام: از مهمترين پيشرفت‌هاي واقعي انقلاب اسلامي، تأسيس سازماني براي ولايت فقيه بود[ايلنا]", "هاشمي رفسنجاني: در سال 68 مهمترين مخالفت با رهبري يك فرد را، خود مقام معظم رهبري داشتند", "Analysis: Iran's Theological Community Contends With Changing World", "Assembly of experts; From Montazeri to re-election of Khamenei", Iran’s supreme leader blames US-Israeli plot for protests, Leaked Video Embarrasses Iran’s Khamenei, Implicates Rafsanjani, Leaked video reveals new details about election of Iran's supreme leader, Shocking Video Clip From 1989 Shows Khamenei Elected Only For One Year As A Caretaker, "The Islamic Republic's Will to Survive: Likely Nuclear Resistance, Unlikely Social Revolt", "Leader Meets President, Cabinet Members", "Supreme Leader Meets with President Rouhani and Cabinet Members", "Leader meets with President and Cabinet members", "Ayatollah Khamenei: Judiciary Should Pursue Violated Rights of Iranian Nation at the International Level", "Iran's leader Khamenei warns of Western 'schemes' as new MPs meet", "Tehran switches gear in its relationship with Tripoli after Qaddafi's death", "Glimpses from the Life of Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Ali Khamenei", "Iran's inner and outer circles of influence and power", "Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Sheikh Ahmad Marvi as the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi", Iran’s Supreme Leader Shakes Up Military Command, "Ayatollah Khamenei's Edict Appointing Dr. Velayati as the Head of the Islamic Azad University", "Al-Azhar Chancellor, Religious Leaders Hail Ayatollah Khamenei's Fatwa | AhlulBayt Islamic Mission (AIM)", "The Official Website of The Amman Message – Grand Ayatollah Al-Sayyid Ali Khamenei", "Mehr News Unity top priority of world of Islam: Leader", "An Iran option the US prefers to ignore", "Iran, holder of peaceful nuclear fuel cycle technology", "Remarks by President Obama in Address to the United Nations General Assembly", "Legal Aspects–Fatwa against Nuclear Weapons", "Supreme Leader's Message to International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament", "Nuclear Fatwa: Religion and Politics in Iran's Proliferation Strategy", "Jame'eye Baaz – The Flexibility of Khamenei's So-Called 'Nuclear Fatwa, "Iran says nuclear fatwa exists; others don't buy it", "Fact Checker Did Iran's supreme leader issue a fatwa against the development of nuclear weapons? He stated that the normalization will be only temporary, but the UAE will forever have to bear the shame regarding the deal. Tehran, Iran – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the United States must be first to return to its commitments under the historic 2015 nuclear deal. [259] Opposition journalists Ahmad Zeidabadi, Mohsen Sazegara, Mohammad Nourizad and Akbar Ganji were arrested and investigated[260][261][262][263] for spreading critical articles containing unproven charges against Khamenei's policies as the leader and some organizations. In 2000, he was listed by the Committee to Protect Journalists as "one of the top ten enemies of the press and freedom of expression",[258] and was named to the Time 100 in 2007. Ayatullah Seyed Ali Khamenei By Azadeh Moaveni, "ادوار نيوز|شکنجه دکتر زیدآبادی غیرقابل انکار است/ توضیحات ادوارنیوز در مورد گزارش کذب صداوسیما", "BBC فارسی – ايران – 'محروم کردن زندانی از درمان پزشکی، شکنجه است, "gooya news :: politics : شکنجه اکبر گنجی در بیمارستان، گزارش سازمان عفو بین الملل", "MIDDLE EAST – Iran journalist jailed for 23 months", "0009.ws | Free Website Hosting with PHP", "Aide to Ahmadinejad sentenced to a year in jail for insulting Khamenei", "Journalist Gets 35 Lashes, Jail For Insulting Ayatollah", False Freedom: Online Censorship in the Middle East and North Africa, Blogger jailed in Iran is dead, lawyer says, Activist sentenced to jail, exile and fine in Iran, Briton among eight jailed in Iran for web insults, Iranian man sentenced to death for 'insulting Islam' through messaging app, "Supreme Leader Backs Conservatives, Angering Parliament Refomers : Ayatollah Kills Effort To Remove Press Curbs", "Introduction to Persian Traditional Music", "Fatwas and ARTs: IVF and Gamete Donation in Sunni v. Shia Islam (Id. On 21 March 2009, a day after US President Barack Obama advocated a "new beginning" in diplomatic relations between the two countries, Khamenei said a change of US "words" was not enough and added: "We will watch and we will judge (the new US administration) ... You change, our behavior will change." They [the West] must be answerable [not Islam]. [195], Khamenei condemned the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and called Myanmar's de facto leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi a "brutal woman". Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Jan. 8. Then, he went to Najaf in 1957,[53] but soon returned to Mashhad due to his father's unwillingness to let him stay there. This influence was evident in the 2004 parliamentary elections, in which the Guardian Council disqualified thousands of candidates from running—including 80 incumbents, many of the reformist members of Parliament, and all the candidates of the Islamic Iran Participation Front party. He cited construction of several hundred schools, mosques and hussainiyas, as well as direct and indirect contribution to formation of over 350 thousands jobs expecting a total of 700 thousands for the upcoming three years. ", Imam Khamenei's message to pilgrims of Hajj 2019 in 40 languages, Hajj messages of Iran's supreme leader since before till now, Hajj is a great opportunity to combat the Deal of the Century: Imam Khamenei, To Iran's supreme leader Khamenei, with love and squalor, Khamenei Will See Sanctions on Him as a Direct Challenge to the Revolution, Power and Change in Iran: Politics of Contention and Conciliation, How Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei turned his position into one ‘Persian monarchs would have envied', "Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei embroiled in German car dealer row", Khamenei controls massive financial empire built on property seizures, "Assets of the Ayatollah: The economic empire behind Iran's supreme leader – Khamenei controls massive financial empire built on property seizures", "بیش از 90 درصدسود فعالیت های اقتصادی ستاد اجرایی فرمان امام در مناطق محروم هزینه می شود", "Clerics' Call for Removal Challenges Iran Leader", "Ahmadinejad loses favor with Khamenei, Iran's top leader", "Clash Over Mashaei Reveals Fissures Within the Iranian Regime", Ahmadinejad gets key endorsement as Iran president, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei backs Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in address at Friday prayers, "Ahmadinejad allies charged with sorcery", "Iranian lawmakers warn Ahmadinejad to accept intelligence chief as political feud deepens", "Spy flap weakens Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad", "Iran's Ahmadinejad survives worst storm of his presidency", "Iran's supreme leader tells Ahmadinejad: accept minister or quit", "Iran's Ahmadinejad affirms Khamenei decision, tensions remain", "Iran calls off Ahmadinejad parliament probe", "Khamenei puts stop to Ahmadinejad's return", "Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei blocks Ahmadinejad's comeback", "Ahmadinejad blocked from running in Iran presidential elections", "Ahmadinejad Prohibited to Run for President ... based on Khamenei's Orders", "Ahmadinejad vows to follow Khamenei's order not to run", The Significance of Iran's December Elections, "Iran: Leader calls for acceleration of privatization program", "Thug" Crackdown Operation under Way in Iran (ROOZ :: English)", "Khamenei: Iran's Nuclear Program Important to Nation's Future", "Iran says will not halt uranium enrichment | International", "Iran leader defends government handling of economy", "Iranians turn threats into opportunities: Leader", "Strategic Insights – Iranian Politics After the 2004 Parliamentary Election", Supreme Leader Urges Mousavi to Proceed Through Legal Channels, "Timeline: 2009 Iran presidential elections", "Middle East – UK investigates Iran charge claim", "Iran's Supreme Leader Blasts Alleged 'Western Meddling' in Iran", "رهبر انقلاب در دیدار اعضای مجلس خبرگان:مجلس خبرگان باید انقلابی بماند/ مقایسه رفتار نجیبانه رای‌نیاورندگان انتخابات اخیر با رفتار نانجیبانه فتنه‌گران ۸۸/ نبودن آقایان مصباح و یزدی برای مجلس خبرگان خسارت است", "Iran looks to science as source of pride", "Students, Scientific Olympiad Winners Meet the Leader", "Iran's supreme leader accuses Saudis of 'genocide' in Yemen", "The Latest: Indonesia sends 34 tons of aid for Rohingya", "Iran's Careful Approach to China's Uyghur Crackdown", "The history of US-Iran relations: A timeline", "Iran sees no change in U.S. policy: Khamenei | International", "Khamenei backs revolts, accuses Obama of lying", "Iran's supreme leader accuses U.S. of terrorism | CTV News", "Khamenei threatens Israel with 'lightning' revenge", "U.S. 'disturbed' by Iranian leader's criticism after deal", "Kerry says Iran vow to defy U.S. is 'very disturbing, "Iran's Ayatollah Vows Opposition to 'Arrogant' U.S. [25][26] He is the head of state of Iran, the commander-in-chief of its armed forces, and can issue decrees and make the final decisions on the main policies of the government in many fields such as economy, the environment, foreign policy, and national planning in Iran. If you were to look at the magazines, which are published in the West, you would see that they advertise a commodity for sale next to the naked picture of a woman. He has attacked Western powers who have criticized the rights record of the Islamic Republic for hypocrisy saying that these countries economically oppress people in Third World countries and support despots and dictators. Khamenei made these comments two days after Iranian women's rights activist Delaram Ali was sentenced to 34 months of jail and 10 lashes by Iran's judiciary. [230] Also, he said that he had raised the issue "to spell an end to any debates". "[83], In 2007, Khamenei called for the privatization of state-owned companies, including the telephone company, three banks and dozens of small oil and petrochemical enterprises. Its last move towards such a goal was in 2004, when Article 44 of the constitution was overturned. [257] According to a letter from the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Iran addressed to the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard, and the Police Force, Khamenei has also ordered the Command Headquarters to identify people who adhere to the Baháʼí Faith and to monitor their activities and gather any and all information about the members of the Baháʼí Faith. In Nasr's view, Khamenei is an "unusual sort of dictator". Having been Supreme Leader for three decades, Khamenei has been able to place many loyalists throughout Iran's major institutions, "building a system that serves and protects him". [22][23] Khamenei served as the third President of Iran from 1981 to 1989, while becoming a close ally of the first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini. [240] Also, he advised the Islamic countries to refrain from "useless" crises and differences and instead concentrate on the issue of Palestine which he regarded as the core issue of Islam. I have read Amir Arsalan. In April 2011, another Intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi, resigned after being asked to by Ahmadinejad, but was reinstated by the supreme leader within hours. [189], In response to reformist gains in the 2015–2016 election cycle, Khamenei lamented the loss of conservative clerics from the Assembly of Experts and suggested changes to the law by which the Guardian Council vets candidates may be needed because it is currently too difficult for the Guardian Council to vet so large a number of candidates. "This crisis has forced the UN to declare state of emergency for food shortages around the globe but foreign radios have focused on Iran to imply that the current price hikes and inflation in the country are the results of carelessness on the part of Iranian officials which of course is not true", he said. [61] The six-month investigation by Reuters into found that, regarding the source of Setad's funds, "Setad built its empire on the systematic seizure of thousands of properties belonging to ordinary Iranians: members of religious minorities like Vahdat-e-Hagh, who is Baha'i, as well as Shi'ite Muslims, business people and Iranians living abroad. "[176][177], On 30 April 2008, Ali Khamenei backed President Ahmadinejad's economic policy and said the West was struggling with more economic difficulties than Iran, with a "crisis" spreading from the United States to Europe, and inflation was a widespread problem. [27][28][29][30][31][32] Khamenei has either direct or indirect control over the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, as well as the military and media, according to Karim Sadjadpour. [93], Khamenei officially succeeded Ruhollah Khomeini after Khomeini's death, being elected as the new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts on 4 June 1989. The New York Times reports "the phrase 'death to Khamenei' has begun appearing in graffiti on Tehran walls, a phrase that would have been almost unimaginable not long ago. He has a foreign policy team independent of the president's "which includes two former foreign ministers" and "can at any time of his choosing inject himself into the process and 'correct' a flawed policy or decision. "[126], Khamenei has reportedly issued a fatwa saying the production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons was forbidden under Islam. Later on, the current President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, then a member of Parliament, arranged for Khamenei to get his first major post in the provisional revolutionary government as deputy defense minister. "[W]e have no problem with Jews and Christians ... we have problem with the usurpers of Palestine land," he added. Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei is a Twelver Shia Marja' and the second and current supreme leader of Iran, in office since 1989. [159] The disagreement was described as centered on Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, a top adviser and close confidant of Ahmadinejad[160] and opponent of "greater involvement of clerics in politics",[161] who was first vice president of Iran until being ordered to resign from the cabinet by the supreme leader. Guardianship of a council was not rooted in Hadiths and Islamic jurisprudence. He further argues that women in the West have lost their honor by pointing out perceived high rate of sexual violence in the West as well as the widespread exploitation of female sexual appeal for commercial purposes: "In effect, they have been treating women like a commodity, like another of their products. He believes that hijab is aimed at honoring women. [158] However, as early as January 2008 signs of disagreement between the two men developed over domestic policies,[155] and by the period of 2010–11 several sources detected a "growing rift" between them. It has the trappings of a republican system while maintaining the absolute rule of an elite revolutionary Islamic council. He also revealed plans of gradual sell-off of Setad profitable businesses in the stock market with the aim of transferring their ownership into the hands of Iranian people. [196], U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Khamenei for his refusal to condemn the Xinjiang re-education camps and human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority in China. He also suggested the US had developed a special variety of the virus “based on Iranian genetic information they have gathered”, although he provided no evidence for the theory. [266], Among his controversial actions were his rejection of a bill presented by the Iranian parliament in 2000 that aimed to reform the country's press law, and the disqualification of thousands of parliamentary candidates for the 2004 Iranian legislative election by the Guardian Council he appointed. "[194] His foreign policy is said to steer a course that avoids either confrontation or accommodation with the West. [100] On 29 April 1989, responding to the letter of Ayatollah Meshkini, the head of committee responsible for revising the Constitution, asking Khomeini's viewpoint regarding the 'marjaʿiyyat criteria, Khomeini said: "From the very beginning, I believed and insisted that there is no need for the requirements of marjaʿiyyat (authority in jurisprudence). "The History of Palestine and Its Occupation", Tehran Friday prayer sermons, 18 December 1999. Later, the constitution was amended to remove that requirement and the Assembly of Experts reconvened on 6 August 1989, to reconfirm Khamenei with 60 votes out of 64 present. Khamenei emphasized that no one has the right to blame the Iranian government for Iran's economic problems. Additionally he commented that "No one in European countries dares to speak about [the] Holocaust" (because of the potential legal consequences in some countries), and said that in the West, "speaking about [the] Holocaust and expressing doubts about it is considered to be a great sin. … He also advised people and the government to be content and avoid waste in order to solve economic problems. Maroufi had compared Khamenei to former Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. [56] One of his sons, Mojtaba, married a daughter of Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel. According to Reuters, the remarks were "clearly intended to send a message to Iranians who may plan more demonstrations". "[U]surpation of houses, lands, and business [of Palestinian people] are carried out using these people. Ruhollah Khomeini had originally wanted to keep clerics out of the presidency but later changed his views. [178][179][180][181], As Supreme Leader, Khamenei has influence over elections in Iran since the Constitution of Iran allows him to appoint half of the members of the Guardian Council and the Chief Justice of Iran. [16][17] He was previously President of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei said in regards to the 2015 nuclear deal that "Even after this deal our policy towards the arrogant U.S. will not change. He has expressed interest in the study of the novels and stories since childhood and studied various world's credible novels. According to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Khamenei was the man Khomeini had chosen as his successor before dying. At the top of Iran's power structure is the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of the Iranian Revolution, upon Khomeini's death in 1989. "[156] In Ahmadinejad's 2005 inauguration the supreme leader allowed Ahmadinejad to kiss his hand and cheeks in what was called "a sign of closeness and loyalty,"[157] and after the 2009 election fully endorsed Ahmadinejad against protesters. [83] According to the Iran Chamber, vigorous opposition to the government, including nonviolent and violent protest, assassinations, guerrilla activity and insurrections, was answered by state repression and terror in the early 1980s, both before and during Khamenei's presidency. UN Doc. Maroufi was also banned from working as a journalist and his literary monthly Gardoon was closed. Each world has more than 20 groups with 5 puzzles each. [241], Khamenei condemned peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and charged UAE with betraying the Islamic world, the Arab countries and Palestine. He rejected US foreign policy since the Islamic revolution, insisted the United States is "hated in the world" and should end its interference in other countries. Supreme leader of Iran in 2016 Ali __ Posted by krist on 26 March 2017, 4:17 pm. The ruling led to a diplomatic crisis between the governments of Iran and several European countries, which lasted until November 1997. [207] The speech was punctuated by chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". [125] as well as elaborating on the factors needed to create Islamic unity, he argues: "neither the Shia Muslims allied with the British MI6 are Shias, nor the Sunni mercenaries of the American CIA are Sunnis, as they are both anti-Islamic. Khamenei, who was ranked as a Hujjat al-Islam and not a Marja' as required by the Iranian constitution, said he would only be a "ceremonial leader", and was reassured by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani the position would be "temporary" until a referendum, apparently planned for one year later. In 2016, Khamenei, who outlines the elections guidelines "in line with Article 110 of Iran's Constitution", asked to maximize the amount of transparency in elections in Iran, using modern technologies. On the other hand, Mother Nature Network claims Khamenei has been seen riding around in a BMW car and published a picture of him exiting one. [153], According to The New York Times reporting in mid-August 2009, a "prominent Iranian cleric and a former lawmaker said on Sunday that they had spoken to some of the authors and had no doubt the letter was genuine". According to an official, Khamenei "made clear the demonstrations required a forceful response" and that "rioters should be crushed. This book still lives after almost 200 years,[290], Khamenei is fluent in Arabic in addition to his native languages, Persian and Azerbaijani. According to Karim Sadjadpour of the American Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, several factors have strengthened Khamenei in recent years: (1) A vast network of commissars stationed in strategic posts throughout government bureaucracies, dedicated to enforcing his authority; (2) the weak, conservative-dominated parliament, headed by Khamenei loyalist Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel (whose daughter is married to the Leader's son); (3) the rapidly rising political and economic influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, whose top leaders are directly appointed by Khamenei and have always been publicly deferential to him; (4) the political disengagement of Iran's young population ...; and (5) most significant[ly], the 2005 presidential election, which saw hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad trounce Khamenei's chief rival ... Hashemi Rafsanjani ...[83], According to Christopher Dickey, in order to consolidate his power base, Khamenei has developed close relations with the security and military establishment, while also expanding the bureaucracy inside the government and around his Beit Rahbari compound.