Ali Hosseini Khamenei (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian cleric and politician who served as the supreme leader of Iran since 1989, the second person to hold the position. He had previously served as the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years, made him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East and the longest-serving Iranian leader since Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Ali Khamenei

Acting Born July 17, 1939 – Died February 28, 2026 Mashhad, Khorasan, Iran

Ali Hosseini Khamenei (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian cleric and politician who served as the supreme leader of Iran since 1989, the second person to hold the position. He had previously served as the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years, made him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East and the longest-serving Iranian leader since Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Known For

Dispatches

PBS News Hour

Self (archive footage)

House of Saud: A Family at War

Self (archive footage)

Das Sonntagsinterview

Self

Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia

Self

Russia, China, Iran: The Axis of Revenge

Self (archive footage)

A Dying King: The Shah of Iran

Self (archive footage)

Inside the Iranian Uprising

Self (archive footage)

How Khamenei Was Killed – The Attack in Iran

Self (archive footage)

Salman Rushdie: Death on a Trail

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Khamenei's Last Move

A Question of Eligibility

Self - Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution (archive footage)