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supreme leader

A woman holds a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during the annual anti-Israeli Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, rally in support of Palestinians in Tehran, Iran, March 13, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi)
March 16, 2026, 10:35 pm
Iran’s new supreme leader purportedly issues fresh statement as questions linger over his health
Trump says ‘we don’t know’ if Mojtaba Khamenei ‘dead or not’; leaked audio from official suggests he narrowly survived airstrikes by stepping outside, was lightly wounded
By Agencies and Stav Levaton
A statement read out on state TV, attributed to Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, is televised in Tehran on March 12, 2026. (AFP)
March 12, 2026, 7:11 pm
Iran’s new supreme leader purportedly issues defiant first statement, without appearing
In message read out on state TV, Mojtaba Khamenei ostensibly vows to ‘avenge the blood’ of Iranians killed in US and Israeli strikes, continue utilizing the ‘lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz’
By Agencies
FILE: Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, attends the annual Quds, or Jerusalem Day rally in Tehran, Iran, on May 31, 2019. (AP/Vahid Salemi)
March 6, 2026, 10:22 am
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, chosen to replace father as Iran’s supreme leader?
Described as ‘the power behind the robes,’ son of slain ayatollah was said to serve as ‘principal gatekeeper’ to his late father; secretive figure has never been elected
By Jon Gambrell
Government supporters mourn during a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown in the poster, in Tehran, March 1, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi)
March 1, 2026, 1:26 pm
IDF says dozens of top Iranians killed within seconds of Khamenei as CIA role emerges
Report says US spy agency tracked supreme leader’s location and handed intel to IDF; deaths of military chief of staff, defense minister and top IRGC commander also confirmed
By ToI Staff, Emanuel Fabian and Agencies
A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him addressing a meeting with local champions and medalists of sports and world science awards in Tehran on October 20, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
November 23, 2025, 3:17 pm
Tehran alleges Israel and US attempted to target Khamenei to destabilize Iran
Iranian minister says supreme leader threatened ‘sometimes with assassination attempts, sometimes with hostile attacks,’ but may not have been referring to a specific incident
By AFP and ToI Staff
A handout picture provided by the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office on March 21, 2025, shows him addressing the crowd during his annual Nowruz speech, in Tehran, Iran. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
June 21, 2025, 5:03 pm
Iran’s Khamenei said to pick three potential successors as he hides in bunker
Supreme leader, 86, communicates via trusted aide, sources tell NYT; also selects replacements for any more military commanders killed by Israel; top brass told to stay underground
By ToI Staff
FILE: Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, attends the annual Quds, or Jerusalem Day rally in Tehran, Iran, on May 31, 2019. (AP/Vahid Salemi)
May 21, 2024, 5:58 am
Raisi’s death moves Khamenei’s son to top of running for supreme leader job
President was widely thought to have been top candidate before deadly helicopter crash made Mojtaba Khamenei frontrunner; father’s opposition to nepotism may scuttle succession
By Parisa Hafezi
Mir Hossein Mousavi waves to his supporters as he arrives at a campaign gathering in downtown Tehran, Iran, June 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
February 5, 2023, 1:28 pm
Amid protests, Iran opposition leader calls for referendum on new constitution
Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former official in Tehran’s theocracy who has been under house arrest for years, argues the current system handing supreme leader final say no longer works
By AP
In this picture released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to a group of residents of the city of Qom, in Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2020. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
July 30, 2020, 12:37 am
Twitter to MKs: Unlike Trump tweets, Khamenei’s ‘eliminate Israel’ posts are ok
Regional policy chief tells Knesset committee Iranian leader’s tweets calling for Israel’s destruction don’t violate company rules, are seen as mere ‘foreign policy saber-rattling’
By Raphael Ahren
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks at a meeting in Tehran, Iran, August 13, 2018. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
April 15, 2019, 9:13 pm
Normalizing ties with ‘Zionists’ is against Quran, Iranian supreme leader says
Ayatollah Khamenei says ‘certain Muslim countries’ serve ‘infidels’ by warming relationship with Jewish state
By ToI Staff
An Iranian child gestures for the camera at a flooded house in the city of Hamidiyeh, in Iran's Khuzestan province, on April 10, 2019.(ATTA KENARE / AFP)
April 15, 2019, 5:39 pm
Iran releases special funds for flood damages
More than half a million people displaced in what is being called the country’s worst disaster in 15 years
By AP
Mohammad Reza Naqdi, right, at a conference in Tehran in July 2012, sitting next to former Iraqi prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. (Wikipedia/sayyed shahab-o-din vajedi/CC BY)
January 10, 2019, 6:56 pm
Top Iranian general vows to ‘annihilate’ Israel
Former Basij militia chief says no country can mediate between Tehran and Jewish state: ‘I myself will hoist the flag of the Islamic Revolution in Jerusalem, Allah willing’
By ToI Staff and AP
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a gathering of the Basij, an all-volunteer force under the Revolutionary Guard, in Tehran, October 4, 2018. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
January 9, 2019, 4:10 pm
Iran’s supreme leader calls US officials ‘idiots,’ but hints sanctions hurting
Khamenei says Iran will withstand the pressure, slap US in the face again
By ToI Staff and AP
An Iranian woman walks past campaign posters on a commercial street in southern Tehran's Molavi neighborhood on May 11, 2017. (Atta Kenare/AFP)
May 12, 2017, 8:07 pm
Iran candidates exchange barbs in fiery final debate
Tehran mayor focuses attacks on incumbent Rouhani, says his government only benefitted ‘top four percenters’ of population
By AFP
From left: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Speaker of Iran's Parliament Ali Larijani and Iranian Judicial head Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani attend a 2017 Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada (Screen capture: Mehr News Agency)
February 22, 2017, 8:33 pm
Rouhani: Iran pays heavy price to support Palestinians
Iranian president says all Muslim countries must be ready to fight Israel, no matter the cost
By ToI Staff
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