Iran's Supreme Leader: The Ideology And Rise Of Ayatollah Khamenei

Mentored by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emerged as the natural successor to Iran's revolutionary leadership. Rooted in clerical authority and Islamic law, Khamenei has continued Khomeini's vision by consolidating power within the clergy, opposing Western influence, and pursuing the export of Iran's revolutionary ideology across the region. Born in Mashhad to a modest clerical family, Khamenei's early religious education in Iran and Iraq shaped his rise to becoming Iran's Supreme Leader.