An overview of Ali Khamenei's rise to power, his impact on Iranian society, and his influence on the country's military and foreign policy.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been the Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989, a position he assumed following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. His tenure has been marked by a significant transformation of the Islamic Republic, solidifying clerical power and shaping Iran into a major regional player. Khamenei, unlike Khomeini, a charismatic ideologue, possessed a more understated demeanor. He took on the task of building a state establishment from the revolutionary ideals of Khomeini.
His rule has been significantly longer than Khomeini's. Khamenei expanded the Shiite clerical class and transformed the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into a powerful entity, encompassing both military and economic spheres. The Guard became the country's elite force, controlling its ballistic missile arsenal and influencing various sectors of the Iranian economy. This centralized power structure, however, has faced increasing challenges.\The increasing repression and economic struggles have led to waves of mass protests. Public anger over social restrictions and the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, arrested for not wearing her headscarf properly, triggered widespread demonstrations. Protesters voiced their discontent, even chanting slogans against Khamenei. His response has been the most brutal crackdown in decades, with security forces using lethal force against demonstrators, resulting in thousands of deaths. Khamenei, born into a religious family in Mashhad, studied under Khomeini in Qom. Before assuming his role as Supreme Leader, he served as Iran's president. He survived an assassination attempt in 1981, which left him with a paralyzed hand. He lacked the charisma and religious scholarship of Khomeini and even acknowledged his own shortcomings. Nonetheless, hardliners view him as the ultimate authority, second only to God.\Khamenei's leadership style involves a complex web of clerics and government agencies, with him as the final decision-maker. He ensured the continued influence of the Revolutionary Guard, allowing it to control major parts of the economy and undermining the elected civilian government through a system of appointed officials. Under his leadership, Iran shifted from conventional warfare to supporting proxy groups. Through groups such as Hezbollah, established with Iranian backing, Iran has projected its power, often through violence. Iran's support for the Houthis in Yemen, and alleged involvement in attacks like the Khobar Towers bombing, indicate the ways in which Iran’s foreign policy has sought to destabilize the region. Iran also had a major influence in Iraq after the invasion by US in 2003, with Iranian backed militias that engaged in insurgency against US forces and political landscape
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