Explained: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Dies At 86
Iranian state media reported his death on early Sunday, following a major U.S. and Israeli attack on the country. Khamenei held ultimate authority over Iran's political system, military and judiciary for nearly 36 years, shaping both domestic and foreign policy.Born into a religious family in Mashhad, a north-eastern holy city that became a center of revolutionary fervour during opposition to the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Khamenei pursued religious studies from an early age.
