Khamenei, Ali << kah MAY nee or hah MEE nee, ah LEE >> (1939-…), is the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Members of Iran’s government selected him to succeed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in this position, called the faqih, following Khomeini’s death in 1989. Khamenei had served as president from 1981 to 1989.
Khamenei was born on July 15, 1939, in Mashhad in northeastern Iran. He studied Islam under Khomeini and later taught theology. Khamenei earned the religious title of ayatollah, the highest that can be held by a Shī`ite Muslim. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, Khamenei became a prominent opponent of the secular (nonreligious) government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In 1979, revolutionaries overthrew the shah’s government and replaced it with an Islamic republic. Khamenei was named to the Revolutionary Council, which governed Iran after the revolution. He also held several other positions in the new government. As a result, he had much influence in the shaping of the Islamic republic.
