Ali Khamenei

Ali Khamenei is a Twelver Shia marja' and the current supreme leader of Iran. He has been in office since 1989, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East. Previously, he served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei was arrested six times and spent three years in exile during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He survived an assassination attempt in 1981 that left his right arm paralyzed. Khamenei played a key role during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s and has close ties with the Revolutionary Guards, which he controls. The Revolutionary Guards have been involved in various military and political activities under his leadership.