Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei is the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a position he has held since 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the revolution. Born in Mashhad, Iran, Khamenei rose through the ranks of the Shia clergy and became involved in revolutionary activities against the Shah's regime in the 1960s and 1970s, enduring imprisonment and exile. As a key figure in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, he served in various high-level positions, including deputy defense minister and president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Under his leadership, Iran has pursued policies emphasizing Islamic governance, regional influence through proxy groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis, and defiance against Western sanctions, particularly regarding its nuclear program—a stance that has drawn hawkish critiques from analysts like Kuperwasser regarding nuclear threats and regional aggression. Khamenei, often seen as the ultimate authority over Iran's military, judiciary, and foreign policy via the Guardian Council and Assembly of Experts, has been criticized internationally for human rights abuses, election manipulations, and support for terrorism, while domestically maintaining power through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Key figures among Iranian regime officials under his oversight include President Ebrahim Raisi (2021-present), Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and IRGC commanders like Hossein Salami, all aligned with hardline conservative ideologies. The regime's structure centralizes power in unelected clerical bodies, with Khamenei wielding veto power over elected officials, shaping Iran's adversarial stance toward Israel, the US, and Sunni Arab states. Iranian regime officials collectively represent the theocratic establishment, blending Shia clerical authority with military and political control. Prominent officials include former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013), known for Holocaust denial and nuclear defiance; current Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i; and Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib. The regime has faced allegations of corruption, with officials like Khamenei's inner circle controlling vast economic empires through bonyads (foundations) exempt from taxes. Legal histories include international sanctions on many officials for human rights violations, such as the 2022 crackdown on protests following Mahsa Amini's death. Financial opacity surrounds the regime, with estimates of Khamenei's control over $95 billion in assets via Setad, though unverified. Political affiliations are uniformly pro-regime, with ties to global networks like the Axis of Resistance. Controversies abound: Khamenei accused of orchestrating assassinations abroad (e.g., 1990s Jewish community killings in Argentina); regime officials under UN investigations for arms smuggling and terrorism support (e.g., IRGC's Quds Force). No direct criminal convictions due to sovereign immunity, but ICC warrants sought for some (e.g., 1988 mass executions). Contact info sparse: official channels via @khamenei_ir on X/Twitter (verified); no personal emails/phones public. Social media: Khamenei's office on Instagram (@khamenei_ir), Telegram (@khamenei_media). Ethnicity: Persian; Religion: Twelver Shia Islam; Family: Married, six children, son Mojtaba rumored successor. Health: Rumors of prostate cancer (2014), mobility issues.