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. [251], During the Mahshahr massacre, protests expanded against "government corruption, failing institutions, lack of freedoms and the repressive rule of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 4.2m Followers, 26 Following, 6,898 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei (@khamenei_ir) 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. (People's Mujahedin of Iran) paramilitary group, and of making dissident writers and intellectuals in Iran "a special target" of repression, among other infractions of human rights. ", Iran leader's call to 'annihilate' Israel sparks fury as nuclear deadline looms, Iran's Khamenei: No Cure for Barbaric Israel but Annihilation, Iran's supreme leader Khamenei tweets reasons to 'eliminate' Israel, "Expressing friendship with the people of Israel [is] false, irrational and absurd", "Iran's Supreme Leader vows 'no retreat' as nuclear talks begin", "The US can learn from this example of mutual respect". 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. He stated that the normalization will be only temporary, but the UAE will forever have to bear the shame regarding the deal. (updated monthly) Islamic Law … Supreme leader of Iran in 2016 Ali __ Posted by krist on 26 March 2017, 4:17 pm. [41], Muhammad Sahimi claims that his political career began after the Iranian Revolution, when the former President of Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, then a confidant of Khomeini, brought Khamenei into Khomeini's inner circle. "[101] In a video that surfaced during the 2017–18 Iranian protests, Khamenei is seen before the assembly saying he was not religiously qualified to be Supreme leader. [191][192] In 2004, Khamenei said that the country's progress is dependent on investment in the field of science and technology. 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. 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. He has expressed interest in the study of the novels and stories since childhood and studied various world's credible novels. "[208][209][210][211][212][213] U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that if the comments reflected policy, it was "very disturbing", and "very troubling". [65] Former cleric Mehdi Khalaji[65] and Saeid Golkar,[106] describe Khamenei's system as having creating a "parallel structure" for each of the country's institutions (army, intelligence agencies, etc.) [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. Khamenei ordered a review of the sentence against Aghajari and it was later commuted to a prison sentence. In late 1996, following a fatwa by Khamenei stating that music education corrupts the minds of young children, many music schools were closed and music instruction to children under the age of 16 was banned by public establishments (although private instruction continued). He introduced himself as "your brother in religion", while praising the "explosion of sacred anger". [41][42][43] Two of his brothers are also clerics; his younger brother, Hadi Khamenei, is a newspaper editor and cleric. 13876 for being a person appointed by the Supreme Leader to a position as the head of any entity located in Iran. In reaction to the letter, some Parliament members voiced outrage and threatened to resign. Khamenei benefits enormously financially from these institutions and is estimated to be worth close to $200 billion. He state that 85 percent of Setad's charitable works take place in poor regions of Iran. "[151], Despite the negative accounts of Western sources, Iranian official sources depict Setad as a vast charity foundation. Sayyid Ali Khamenei annually issues message(s) on the occasion of Hajj for all Muslims (pilgrims) in Hajj. [33] There have been also instances when the Guardian Council reversed its ban on particular people after being ordered to do so by Khamenei.[34]. Maroufi had compared Khamenei to former Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. [264][265] According to the Iran's Press Law "spreading rumors and lies and distorts the words of others" is not allowed. France's conviction of Garaudy, he said, was against the concept of freedom of speech. [242], On 21 March 2014, during a morning speech marking the Persian New Year, Nowruz, Khamenei called into question the Holocaust. The Baháʼí Faith is the largest religious minority in Iran, with around 300,000 members (8,000,000 members worldwide) and is officially considered a dangerous cult by Iranian government. 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. E/CN.4/1993/41, Commission on Human Rights, 49th session, 28 January 1993, Final report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Special Representative of the Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Reynaldo Galindo Pohl, paragraph 310. As president, he had a reputation of being deeply interested in the military, budget and administrative details. Mukhber also cited a sum total grant of 2.21 trillion rials of Qard al-Hasan, interest-free loans, to 41 thousands families in poor regions of the country. [61] Reuters "found no evidence that Khamenei is tapping Setad to enrich himself," but did find that he used Setad's funds, which "rival the holdings of the shah", for political expedience – "Setad gives him the financial means to operate independently of parliament and the national budget, insulating him from Iran's messy factional infighting. [237][238] This statement was reported as voted as the best and most important among Khamenei's statements in 2015 by an online poll conducted by his official website. 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. He said that "the Holocaust is an event whose reality is uncertain and if it has happened, it's uncertain how it has happened". [67][68], Khamenei's health has been called into question. Dispute regarding status as Grand Ayatollah, Challenges following 2009 election protest, Relations with former President Ahmadinejad, Presidential, parliamentary, and Assembly of Experts elections, Comments about United States and its foreign policy, Human rights, freedoms, protests, Islamic law. [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. [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. So far, Iran's supreme leader has issued 32 messages (since 1989). [271], In 2010, opposition activist Ahmad Gabel was sentenced to 20 months in jail for insulting Khamenei, as well as 3 additional years for possessing a satellite receiver, a 3-year exile and a fine. After the first prayer, he began to give a lecture to worshipers who had written their questions on a piece of paper. [277] Khamenei stated, "The promotion of music [both traditional and Western] in schools is contrary to the goals and teachings of Islam, regardless of age and level of study. Despite Nuke Deal", "Nuclear deal will not change Iran's relations with U.S.: supreme leader", "Ayatollah says nuclear deal will not change Iran's relations with U.S.", "Iran nuclear: Ayatollah Khamenei chastises 'arrogant' US", "Iran nuclear deal: Ayatollah Khamenei says hostile policies towards 'arrogant' America will not change", "Coronavirus: Iran's leader suggests US cooked up 'special version' of virus to target country", BBC News, Middle East, Iran condemns attacks on US, "Tehran's Genocidal Incitement against Israel", Khamenei: 'Tumor' of Israel is world's biggest problem, Iranian Leader: Israel A "Cancerous Tumor", Israel a ‘cancerous tumor’ and Middle East’s biggest problem, Iranian supreme leader says, "Kerry Calls Khamenei's 'Rabid Dog' Comment 'Inflammatory, "Iran leader calls Israel 'rabid dog', urges arms for Palestinians", "The secret behind Leader's interpretations about the Zionist regime/ A rabid dog holding the reins of his supporters", "Khamenei on Twitter: No cure for barbaric Israeli regime but to be annihilated. On the other hand, the supporters of the proposal believed that: i) At the time, there were no Faqih equal to Khomeini or even two or three levels lower than him so that he could fulfill the expectation of people. After a few months, at a televised meeting with then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Cabinet ministers, important clerics, the leader of parliament and provincial governors, the heads of state broadcasting and the Iranian chamber of commerce, Khamenei ordered "to pass some laws, sell off some businesses, and be quick about it." "[216], Khamenei is an opponent of the State of Israel and Zionism, and has been criticized for anti-Semitic rhetoric and for making threats against Israel. [74], Khomeini appointed Khamenei to the post of Tehran's Friday prayers Imam in 1980, after resignation of Hussein-Ali Montazeri from the post. Khamenei issued a statement declaring that "enemies of the Islamic system fabricated various rumors about death and health to demoralize the Iranian nation", but according to author Hooman Majd, he appeared to be "visibly weak" in photos released with the statement. "[149] A six-month investigation by Reuters has said that Khamenei controls a "financial empire" worth approximately US$95 billion that is not overseen by the Iranian Parliament, a figure much larger than the estimated wealth of the late Shah of Iran. [90][91] Iran's Chief Justice Sadeq Larijani, a Khamenei appointee, has warned the president of Iran against voicing opposition to Khamenei. [197], The United States and Iran have had no formal diplomatic relations since the Iran hostage crisis of 1980 when US embassy was taken over and US diplomats were taken prisoner. [16][17] He was previously President of Iran from 1981 to 1989. [70][71] According to a report by Le Figaro, Western intelligence sources said Khamenei has prostate cancer.[72][73]. Who is Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran’s regime?The Supreme Leaders office manages numerous security, economic, and political institutions. [152], In mid-August 2009, a group of unnamed former reformist lawmakers appealed to the Assembly of Experts – the constitutional body charged with electing and (in theory) supervising and removing the Leader – to investigate Leader Ali Khamenei's qualification to rule. Various lists were proposed and Khamenei was named in all of them. [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. Subsequently, the conservatives won about 70 percent of parliamentary seats. [44] His elder sister Fatemeh Hosseini Khamenei died in 2015, aged 89. [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. Published 4 March 2008, Chairman of Expediency Discernment Council, 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, 2018–2019 Iranian general strikes and protests, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, October 1981 Iranian presidential election, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Ali Khamenei's fatwa against nuclear weapons, Timeline of the 2009 Iranian election protests, Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 protests, An Outline of Islamic Thought in the Quran, Iqbal, the Poet-Philosopher of Islamic Resurgence, Motto of years in Islamic Republic of Iran, "توضیحات مجلس خبرگان درباره جلسه انتخاب آیت‌الله خامنه‌ای به عنوان رهبر در سال 68/ آیت‌الله گلپایگانی فقط 14 رای داشت", "letter to Hashemi Rafsanjani and resignation from presidency", "چه کسی در نخستین انتخابات خبرگان اول شد؟ +جدول", "A photo of Identity document of Ayatollah Khamenei", https://farsi.khamenei.ir/photo-album?id=8799, روایتی از تاریخ دقیق تولد رهبر انقلاب از زبان معظم‌له+عکس, "taking look at the biography of Ali Khamenei", "Khamenei Will Be Iran's Last Supreme Leader", "Tehran Politics: Are the Mullahs Losing Their Grip? [59][60] He has two brothers, Mohammad Khamenei and Hadi Khamenei. [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. Khamenei was reelected in 1985 Iranian presidential election where only three candidates were approved by the Council of Guardians, receiving 87% of the votes. In 1958, he settled in Qom where he attended the classes of Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi and Ruhollah Khomeini. [92], In 1989 Ayatollah Khomeini dismissed Ayatollah Montazeri as his political successor, giving the position to Khamenei instead. [215] Khamenei explained, “There are enemies who are demons, and there are enemies who are humans, and they help one another. After a minute the loud speaker's sound become like whistle and suddenly the tape recorder exploded. In his presidential inaugural address Khamenei vowed to eliminate "deviation, liberalism, and American-influenced leftists". [288] He praised the works of Mikhail Sholokhov, Alexei Tolstoy,[289] Honoré de Balzac, and Michel Zévaco. [229] In 2013, Khamenei accused France of "kneeling" before Israel, while saying that Israel was led by people unworthy of the "title human". He also paralleled these events with Islamic revolution in Iran during his Nowruz oration in 2011. [132], Doubts have been cast by experts on the existence of the fatwa as it can be changed or modified as and when deemed necessary,[133][134] as well as doubts on its authenticity, its impact,[135] and its apparently religious nature. On 4 June 2006, Khamenei said that Iran would disrupt energy shipments from the Persian Gulf region (about 20% of the world's daily supply of oil passes from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz very close to Iran's coast)[199] should the country come under attack from the US, insisting that Tehran will not give up its right to produce nuclear fuel. "[243][244][245] The Anti-Defamation League accused Khamenei in March 2014 of making statements of explicit Holocaust denial. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Jan. 8. [216] He is quoted as saying, "Mass killings of human beings are catastrophic acts which are condemned wherever they may happen and whoever the perpetrators and the victims may be. [65] ii) In case of council of leaders, the members could compensate each other, if any of them had some shortage in a field.[94]. However, Khamenei himself has insisted human rights are a fundamental principle underlying Islamic teachings, that precedes western concern for human rights by many centuries. [266] Also, according to the law, "spreading libel against officials, institutions, organizations and individuals in the country or insulting legal or real persons who are lawfully respected, even by means of pictures or caricatures" is not allowed. On 21 March 2011, Khamenei accused the West of having "come after Libyan oil". Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Fakhrizadeh “the country’s prominent and distinguished nuclear and defensive scientist.” Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, said Iran’s first priority after the killing was the “definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it.” "[150] According to The Daily Telegraph, money from Setad is used to fund Khamenei's Beit Rahbari compound, which employs over 500 stewards, as was reported in 2013. [206], On 19 July 2015, while speaking at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei said to his supporters that the policies of the United States in the region were "180 degrees" opposed to Iran's political and religious movement. Check out 'CodyCross' answers for TODAY! [231], Nevertheless, according to anti-regime change activist Abbas Edalat, in 2005 Khamenei responded to a remark by then-President Ahmadinejad which had been widely translated as saying that the "regime occupying Jerusalem should be wiped off the map" by saying that "the Islamic Republic has never threatened and will never threaten any country. [64] Robert Tait of The Daily Telegraph commented that Khamenei is "renowned for a spartan lifestyle. [86] Iranian officials, however, have categorically denied their involvement. [83] According to Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Khamenei has "resisted Rafsanjani's attempts to find a modus vivendi with the United States, Khatami's aspirations for a more democratic Islamic state, and Ahmadinejad's penchant for outright confrontation. [173][174] In 2007, Iranian police under the direction of Khamenei launched a "Public Security Plan", arresting dozens of "thugs" to increase public security. He wrote: "The present press law has succeeded to a point in preventing this big plague. [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). [148], Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Damien McElroy and Ahmad Vahdat observed: "The ayatollah likes to cultivate an image of austerity but receives major commissions from the Iranian oil and arms industries and there have been regular claims that he and his son have amassed a fortune running into billions of dollars. In April 2011, another Intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi, resigned after being asked to by Ahmadinejad, but was reinstated by the supreme leader within hours. He has the power to appoint ministers, ambassadors, governors once approved by the parliament. [253], During the 2019–2020 Iranian protests, Khamenei met with various officials and cabinet members, saying "he would hold the assembled officials responsible for the consequences of the protests if they didn’t immediately stop them." Khamenei is the longest serving head of state in the Middle East, as well as the second-longest serving Iranian leader of the last century, after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. "[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. [272], In 2014, eight men including a Briton were sentenced for 19 to 20 years for insulting Khamenei and other charges relating to Facebook comments. [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. "Castro to Ayatollah Khamenei: "Why did you shake with your left hand instead of right? CodyCross is an addictive game developed by Fanatee. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei welcomed the Iranian New Year as one of "production, support and removal of barriers" in a live televised speech on Saturday. iii) People were accustomed to the leadership of an individual and a council of leaders was something unfamiliar to them. [276] Kayhan and Jomhuri-ye Eslami are two newspapers published under the management of Khamenei. [267], Several journalists, bloggers, and other individuals were put on trial in Iran for the charge of insulting the Supreme Leader, often in conjunction with blasphemy charges. [269], In 2005, an Iranian was jailed for two years for insulting Khamenei and Imam Khomeini while being cleared of insulting the prophet. "[252], During the 2018–2019 Iranian general strikes and protests, Khameini demanded punishment for those “who disrupt economic security”. [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. According to the Reuters investigation, Khamenei uses the assets of a company called Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam or "Setad" in Farsi, in order to increase his grip on power. [57] His eldest son, Mostafa, is married to a daughter of Azizollah Khoshvaght. "[282][283], Ali Khamenei believes in gender segregation. [201], Khamenei criticized the NATO-led military intervention in Libya. [66] In a 2011 report in The Daily Telegraph, defectors from Iran claimed Khamenei has a considerable appetite of caviar and trout, a stable of 100 horses, collects items such as pipes and (reputedly) 170 antique walking sticks, and has a private court stretching over six palaces. [193], Khamenei has "direct responsibility" for foreign policy, which "cannot be conducted without his direct involvement and approval". Because Khamenei was neither a marja or ayatollah, the Assembly of Experts had to modify the constitution in order to award him the position of Iran's new Supreme Leader (a decision opposed by several grand ayatollahs). But the reality is that homosexuality has become a serious challenge, pain and unsolvable problem for the intellectuals in the west."[286]. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has vowed revenge after the killing of the country's chief nuclear scientist, as top officials pile blame on Israel. [141] A part of his last message (6 August 2019) is as follows: The ritual of Bara’ah which means refusing every instance of mercilessness, cruelty, wrongdoing and corruption of the tyrants of any time, and rising against intimidation and extortion by the arrogant throughout history, is one of the great blessings of Hajj, and an opportunity for oppressed Muslim nations. Are you looking for never-ending fun in this exciting logic-brain app? He also went to the battlefield as a representative of the defense commission of the parliament. 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. [17], In 2012, 2013, and 2014, Forbes selected Khamenei as the 21st, 23rd, and 19th most powerful person in the world, respectively, in the list of The World's Most Powerful People. He has, however, continued Khomeini's policy of "balancing one group against another, making sure that no single side gains too much power. Iran’s constitution provides broad guidance on the characteristics sought in candidates for the position of supreme leader. 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. ii) Previous council type organizations such as broadcasting council and supreme judicial council were not successful in practice and leadership council would not do well for similar reasons. This book still lives after almost 200 years,[290], Khamenei is fluent in Arabic in addition to his native languages, Persian and Azerbaijani. "This is wrong." "[126], Khamenei has reportedly issued a fatwa saying the production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons was forbidden under Islam. [248] In a series of tweets in mid-December 2019, he praised Garaudy: "The fight he engaged in against the Zionists is a #DivineDuty for all those who respect the #Truth." [18] All candidates for the Assembly of Experts, the Presidency and the Majlis (Parliament) are vetted by the Guardian Council, whose members are selected directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader of Iran. [284] Khamenei also believes that gender equality is a Zionist plot with the purpose to "corrupt the role of women in society". [27][28][29][30] Khamenei regularly meets with president, cabinet members, head and officials of the judiciary branch, parliamentarians, among others, and tells them what to do. [17], Khamenei supported Mesbah Yazdi describing him as one of Iran's most credible ideologues prior to the 2005 election, but has reportedly "recently been concerned about Mesbah's political ambitions. … “There is good ground for a production leap,” Khamenei said, adding that the government needed to get rid of any legal obstacles to production and growth. The persistent US-Iran issues of the comatose 2015 nuclear deal and Washington-imposed sanctions were touched upon by Khamenei in a televised speech on Sunday. In February 2011, Ali Khamenei supported the Egyptian uprising against their government, describing it as Islamic awakening instead of Arab Spring. In 2000, Ali Khamenei sent a letter to the Iranian parliament forbidding the legislature from debating a revision of the Iranian press law. [184], During the 2005 presidential election, Khamenei's comments about importance of fighting corruption, being faithful to the ideals of the Islamic revolution, as well as on the superior intelligence and dynamism of those who studied engineering, were interpreted by some as a subtle endorsement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (who had a PhD in traffic engineering). Khamenei would later certify the results of the 2009 Iranian Presidential election. "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. Born to Seyyed Javad Khamenei, an Alim and Mujtahid born in Najaf,[11] and Khadijeh Mirdamadi (daughter of Hashem Mirdamadi) in Mashhad, Khamenei is the second of eight children. Intelligence sources have also said his family has extensive international business interests. This section contains the latest inquiries about the practical laws of islam answered by the istifta' committee of the supreme leader's office. According to Reuters, the remarks were "clearly intended to send a message to Iranians who may plan more demonstrations". The then Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri dismissed the ruling as being political, untrue and unsubstantiated. In Nasr's view, Khamenei is an "unusual sort of dictator". Some of those dissidents clerics included Mohammad Shirazi, Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Hassan Tabatabai-Qomi, and Yasubedin Rastegar Jooybari. Ayatollah Khamenei in the city of Ardabil reading different poems in Azerbaijani language about Imam Hussein and events in Karbala.