Everything You Need To Know About Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , Supreme Leader Of Iran

A week aft Israel launched a astonishment attack connected Iran aiming to swipe retired its atomic program, each eyes are now connected nan country’s reclusive ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Thursday, pursuing an Iranian rocket onslaught that deed an Israeli hospital, Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said successful a connection that "Khamenei will beryllium held accountable for his crimes," adding during a sojourn to 1 of nan effect sites that "a personification for illustration that should not exist," later calling him "the modern time Hitler," according to nan Times of Israel.

Over decades of rule, Khamenei has built an impenetrable circle astir him some wrong and extracurricular of Iran. Now, pinch Israel taking out immoderate of his closest aides and elder information figures, arsenic good arsenic importantly weakening its militant Islamic friends crossed nan region, nan ultimate leader is opening to look progressively isolated. 

IRAN STRIKES MAJOR ISRAELI HOSPITAL AFTER CLAIMING ISRAEL HIT ITS ARAK HEAVY WATER REACTOR

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is opinionated pinch subject leaders. (AP)

"He calls himself a revolutionary, not a diplomat," Dr. Meir Javedanfar, a teacher successful Iran Studies astatine Reichman University adjacent Tel Aviv who grew up successful Tehran, told Fox News Digital, adding that he sees himself arsenic a "revolutionary." 

On Wednesday, that militancy and determination to enactment successful powerfulness came done successful statements by Khamenei, who said nan "Iranian federation will not surrender" and "war will beryllium met pinch war, bombing pinch bombing, and onslaught pinch strike," according to section media reports.  

Born successful 1939 to a belief but humble family successful Mashad, eastbound Iran, Khamenei was among nan Islamist activists who played an instrumental domiciled successful nan pivotal 1979 gyration to overthrow nan U.S.-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was President of Iran doubly and a adjacent state of nan country's first ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni. (Getty images)

A adjacent state of Iran’s first ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led nan gyration and founded nan Islamic Republic, Khamenei emerged arsenic a trusted lieutenant, helping to beforehand nan caller regime’s conception of religiously-dominated governance. 

For overmuch of nan 1980s, he served arsenic Iran’s president, a mostly ceremonious role. Additionally, erstwhile Khomeini died successful 1989, Khamenei, who according to immoderate reports was not yet qualified for nan position, roseate to go nan country’s ultimate leader.

Since then, Khamenei has worked to consolidate his absolute power, tightening his grip connected nan country’s political, subject and information apparatus, while cracking down connected dissent and taking a patient guidelines against progressive ideas, the West and Israel. 

Lisa Daftari, an master connected Iran and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk, told Fox News Digital, "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s norm has been marked by unrelenting brutality and repression, some wrong Iran and beyond its borders. Under his nonstop command, nan authorities has executed hundreds of prisoners successful conscionable nan past year, including women, and continues to clasp nan world grounds for executions and torture.

"The authorities constabulary and notorious 'morality police,’ each nether Khamenei’s control, enforce a terrible mentation of Sharia law, violently suppressing dissent and targeting women and minorities. His servants of nan state has not only silenced opponents astatine location done wide arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings, but has besides orchestrated assassinations of dissidents overseas and exported panic crossed nan region."

Daftari concluded, "Khamenei’s authorities is responsible for nan deaths of countless Iranians and moreover Americans, pinch humor connected his hands from some home crackdowns and world violence. For almost 5 decades, Iran has been tally arsenic a constabulary state, wherever fear, surveillance, and systematic quality authorities abuses are devices of governance and methods of authorities survival."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, greets then-Syrian President Bashar Assad successful Tehran, Iran, connected Feb. 25, 2019. (Office of nan Iranian Supreme Leader via AP, File)

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS THINK IRAN POSES A REAL THREAT TO US SECURITY, BUT SPLIT ON ISRAEL’S STRIKES

Khamenei has besides invested heavy successful nan alleged axis of resistance crossed nan region, including backing nan Palestinian violent group Hamas, Hezbollah successful Lebanon, nan Houthi activity successful Yemen and other militant militias. Many of these allies, arsenic good arsenic nan authorities of Bashar al-Assad successful Syria, person collapsed complete nan past twelvemonth and a half nether Israeli subject pressure. 

Inside Iran, Khamenei’s conservative-style of activity has faced challenges complete nan years, including concisely successful 2009 following elections wherever Khamenei declared triumph for nan incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sparking monolithic celebrated demonstrations - pinch immoderate protestors calling for Khamenei’s downfall. 

Mass protests besides collapsed retired successful nan autumn of 2022 aft Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old, died while detained by nan morality constabulary for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly. The protests were brutally put down, pinch galore of those arrested put to decease by his regime.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, meets Secretary General of nan Islamic Jihad Movement Ziyad al-Nakhalah, left, and nan erstwhile caput of nan Hamas panic group Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated 1 time aft this photograph was taken, Tehran, Iran, connected July 30, 2024. (Iranian Leader Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

However, according to nan Council For Foreign Relations, Iran’s ultimate leader remains "leader for life" nether a clerical ruling strategy that puts him astatine nan caput of authorities and affords him immense power derived from belief authority. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

"When he was a young man, he studied nan writings of nan founders of Muslim Brotherhood, and ever believed successful militant Islam," said Javedanfar, adding that he has besides "always been anti-Israel to nan constituent of antisemitism." 

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves to nan crowd while attending a ceremonial marking nan 30th decease day of nan precocious revolutionary laminitis Ayatollah Khomeini, shown successful nan poster astatine rear, astatine his mausoleum conscionable extracurricular Tehran, Iran, connected Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Ayatollah Khamenei said his state will proceed resisting U.S. economical and governmental unit connected his country. (Office of nan Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

"I deliberation he believes successful confronting Israel successful each means possible," he said, noting that location are nary signs Khamenei is willing in backing down. 

"I'm judge galore group had warned him that supporting Hamas aft October 7, and Hezbollah and different groups could bring warfare to Iran's territory but he obviously, he didn't listen," Javedanfar said.