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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
Iran protests
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.

Middle East

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

Iran

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

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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.

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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A domestically built missile, called the “Khaibar-buster”, and banners showing portraits of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (centre) are displayed in Tehran on Thursday. Photo: AP
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.

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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Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant. Iran is not going to eliminate its nuclear programme because of European pressure, an analyst says. Photo: AFP
Middle East

Iran says US accountability for attacks must be part of talks

Iran said it will hold the US accountable for attacks on its nuclear sites in any future talks, a demand Washington has dismissed as ‘ridiculous’.

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Activity near the perimeter building and southern holes caused by the June 22 US airstrike on the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant complex in Iran.: Photo: Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies/AFP
US-Iran tensions

US Treasury hits Iranian shipping network with major new sanctions

The sanctions broadly target the shipping interests of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, whose father is an adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei.

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Middle East

Iran blames Europe for nuclear deal failure ahead of first talks since US strikes

Iran has accused European powers of non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, contributing to its collapse ahead of talks in Istanbul on Friday.

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Israel-Iran conflict

US-Iran nuclear talks ‘won’t take place’ if conditioned on stopping enrichment

The talks have stalled since the US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

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A combination photo shows US President Donald Trump (left) and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . Photo: AFP
Middle East

Iran open to US nuclear talks, but demands ‘assurance’ against further attacks

This demand follows last month’s Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites and a US strike, complicating negotiations and reaffirming Iran’s uranium enrichment plans.

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Israel-Iran conflict

‘They did try’: Iranian president says Israel attempted to assassinate him

Iran’s Pezeshkian tells Tucker Carlson about alleged attempt on his life, and blames Israel’s Netanyahu for ‘forever wars’ in Middle East.

Israel-Iran conflict

Iran’s supreme leader makes first public appearance since war with Israel began

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, thought to have been under heavy security during the conflict, attended a mourning ceremony on the eve of Ashoura.

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves to the audience during a mourning ceremony in Tehran. Photo: Supreme Leader’s office via AFP
Iran

Did the US really ‘obliterate’ Iran’s nuclear ambitions, or just UN oversight?

The whereabouts of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium is now a mystery. The UN’s nuclear watchdog says it has ‘nothing’ to go on.

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US President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House earlier this year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Middle East

Trump not offering Iran ‘anything’, nor speaking to Tehran

The statement comes as Iran’s deputy foreign minister told the BBC talks between Washington and Tehran cannot resume unless the US rules out further strikes on Iran.

Israel-Iran conflict

Opinion | Decoding Israel, Iran and China’s collision of interests in the Middle East

The conflict exposed a harsh reality for Iran: strategic alliances with China and Russia do not guarantee military backing.

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US-China relations

Why China may be keeping a close eye as Trump gets drawn into the Middle East

China may gain in long term as Iran strikes reveal US retreat from stable leadership, but ‘sudden’ move from Beijing unlikely, analyst says.

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A woman walks past a damaged building in Tehran, Iran on Wednesday following Israeli strikes on the city. Photo: AFP
Israel-Iran conflict

Thousands mourn Iranian commanders and scientists killed in Israeli strikes

Crowds chanted ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ as the caskets were driven through downtown Tehran.

Crowds gather in Tehran on Saturday for the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes. Photo: WANA via Reuters
Israel-Iran conflict

‘Disrespectful and unacceptable’: Iran slams Trump’s claims of saving Khamenei

Iranians ‘do not take kindly to threats and insults’, foreign minister warns.

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Israel-Iran conflict

Trump says he’ll bomb Iran again if nuclear activities start

The US president said he saved Supreme Leader Khamenei from assassination and lashed out at him for not saying ‘thank you’.

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