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Ali Khamenei

Ali Khamenei
The latest news on Ali Khamenei, Iranian cleric, politician and Second Supreme leader of Iran, including Iranian political news and updates.
Born
19 Apr 1939
Industry
Politics
Job Title
Supreme Leader of Iran
People hold up US flags and portraits of Reza Pahlavi in front of the US consulate in Frankfurt, Germany on Friday. Photo: AFP
Iran

Hackers target Iran state TV with exiled prince’s message to forces

In clips, Reza Pahlavi urges security forces to ‘join the people’ in the nationwide demonstrations.

Iran

Iran warns against any US strike as judiciary hints at unrest-linked executions

Iran

Iran’s leader says ‘thousands’ killed in protests, Trump a ‘criminal’

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Donald Trump

Trump thanks Iran for ‘cancelling’ hanging of hundreds of political prisoners

The president has suggested for days that the US might strike Iran if its government triggered mass killings in its crackdown on protesters.

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A member of the Iranian community holds a poster depicitng Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi and US President Donald Trump outside the US embassy in Bucharest, Romania, on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Middle East

Iran cleric demands death for protesters, threatens Trump amid unrest

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami urged the execution of detained protesters, a step the Trump administration warned could spark military action.

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Iran

Exiled crown prince’s plan for Iran seen as mostly aimed at Trump

Experts say Reza Pahlavi’s aspirations for a post-theocratic Iran are to win White House backing.

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Iran

US says Iran halted 800 protester executions after Trump warnings

White House cites direct pressure for the stay of executions, as Gulf allies scramble to de-escalate threats of a US military strike on Iran.

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The wreckage of a burnt-out public bus in Tehran. Iran remains under a near-total nationwide internet blackout amid anti-government protests. Photo: EPA
Middle East

Trump claims ‘killing in Iran is stopping’, but keeps US options open

US president says that Iran hangings are off the table, and to ‘watch it and see’ about military action.

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Vladimir Putin

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

Middle East

Explainer | Who are Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and what is their role in the crackdown?

Reporting directly to Ayatollah Khamenei, this ‘empire within an empire’ wields immense wealth, intelligence, and suppresses dissent.

Members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps give a military salute during a military parade in the capital Tehran in 2019. Photo: Iranian Presidency/AFP
Iran

Iran signals fast trials and executions for detained protesters

As the death toll surpasses 2,500, Iran’s judiciary chief calls for fast action for suspects arrested over protests.

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Iranian security forces watch over a pro-government rally in Tehran on Monday. Photo: Getty Images via TNS
Iran

Trump vs Iran: Gulf allies fear US ‘help’ may unleash chaos

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are urging against military action, even as the US president teases that ‘help is on its way’.

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Iran

Iran hits back as Germany’s chancellor says leadership facing ‘final days’

Germany’s Friedrich Merz warns that a government relying on violence is ‘effectively finished’.

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Iran

Exiled shah’s son emerges as a rallying figure as Iranians protest

After decades in the US, Reza Pahlavi’s prominence in Iran’s latest protests has surprised some observers.

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A person holds a picture of Reza Pahlavi at protest in Paris, France, on January 11. Photo: Reuters
Iran

Video | Iran steps up response to country’s largest protests in years

Iranian authorities warned the US and Israel they would retaliate if Washington follows through on threat to intervene.

Iran protests
02:33
Middle East

‘Tools of repression’: crackdown fears grow as Iran rocked by new rallies

Activists warn authorities could intensify suppression of the protests under cover of the internet blackout.

Iran

Iran protests: a day-by-day guide to the country’s unfolding crisis

What began with a currency collapse has spiralled into a deadly nationwide revolt, with dozens killed and internet access cut.

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Iran

‘Something has to give’: Iran on the brink as protest fury mounts

Weakened by conflict with Israel and a plummeting currency, analysts say the regime faces a choice between radical reform or collapse.

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Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran, on Thursday. Photo: TNS
Middle East

Trump says protest-hit Iran in ‘big trouble’, again threatens military strike

The US president warned that ‘we’ll start shooting too’, if the authorities kill demonstrators.

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Iran

Protests sweep Iran amid internet blackout and state TV warning of casualties

Iranian state media breaks silence on protests as internet and phone access is restricted amid widening unrest.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Why Iran may not be the next Venezuela despite twin threat of protests and Trump

The volatile situation in the Middle East and the greater role played by China in the region may give the US pause for thought.

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An anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, pictured on January 3. US President Donald Trump has previously threatened the Iranian leadership directly. Photo: EPA
Middle East

At least 16 dead in Iran during week of protests: rights groups

Rights groups report rising fatalities and hundreds of arrests in the biggest Iran protests in three years.

Protesters in the Malekshahi district of Iran’s western Ilam province, in UGC images published on January 3. Photo: UGC via AFP
Middle East

Khamenei demands Iran rioters ‘be put in their place’ amid protests, Trump warning

As Trump warns the US is ‘locked and loaded’ to intervene, Iran’s supreme leader blames foreign enemies and orders a crackdown on nationwide unrest.

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Middle East

UN Security Council rejects China and Russia’s bid to delay Iran sanctions

European leaders have triggered a ‘snapback’ mechanism after failing to reach a deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme following weeks of talks.

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Nepal

Letters | From Nepal to Bangladesh, Gen Z’s passion must be paired with perspective

Readers discuss the potential for youth movements to descend into chaos, and China’s developing ties with Iran.

Demonstrators clash with riot police personnel during a protest outside the Parliament in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 8. Photo: AFP
My Take

My Take | Kim Jong-un in Beijing shows why it is good to have nuclear bombs

The essential difference between the North Korean leader and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is that between the haves and the have-nots of the ultimate weapon.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing on September 4, 2025. Photo: Reuters
China-Middle East relations

Xi reiterates support for Iran nuclear programme amid Western pressure

Backing comes as Chinese president looks to challenge, reshape the US-led world order.

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Iran

Iran nuclear deal risks collapse over European demand for talks, inspection

The so-called E3 say they would trigger a clause of the 2015 nuclear deal to reimpose sanctions against Iran if it fails to comply.

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