Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

My Word: Middle Eastern summer stories - opinion

The Middle East never takes a break, with power struggles, hidden agendas, and dangerous alliances shaping the region’s future.

Mourners attend the funeral of former Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha, Qatar, July 12, 2026.
A man walks in front of a huge anti-US billboard referring to the death of US senator Lindsey Graham, at Valiasr Square in Tehran on July 16, 2026.

Trump expected to expand military actions against Iran as CENTCOM launches fifth day of strikes

IRGC CHIEF Ahmad Vahidi (center in black) prays with mourners for Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the second day of funeral ceremonies at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, in July 2026.

Hardliners in Tehran are running the show while the Iran's supreme leader watches - opinion

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Prime Minister of Iraq Ali al-Zaidi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 14, 2026.

Trump says Iran 'will be defeated soon,' as US begins new wave of airstrikes on Iranian targets


Iran's revolution-in-waiting: Why the point of no return has already passed - analysis

As Israel and the US press their aerial campaign against the Islamic Republic, the protests, the blackouts, and the sleeper cells all point in one direction.

A banner in tribute to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after he was killed in Israeli and US strikes, and other leaders who were killed amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, is displayed on a street in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2026.

Mojtaba Khamenei escaped death by seconds in same strike that killed his father - report

According to the report, he suffered a leg injury, while his wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, and their son were killed instantly.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visits Hezbollah's office in Tehran, Iran, October 1, 2024.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise means Iran’s revolution is far from over - opinion

Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment suggests Iran’s theocratic regime will pursue the same revolutionary path.

A picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is displayed on a screen in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026

Israel Air Force destroys aircraft used by Iran's former supreme leader

The IDF said the strike occurred overnight and targeted an aircraft used by Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials and military personnel. 

IDF operations at the Mehrabad Airport in Tehran Iran on March 16, 2026.

Two members of Iranian women's soccer team train at new Australian club after five forgo asylum

Australia had granted humanitarian visas to six players and one support staff member last week from the Iranian squad after they sought asylum over fears of possible persecution upon returning home.

Iranian Women's national soccer team captain Zahra Ghanbari looks on during the Women's Asian Cup Iran press conference at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast, Australia, March 1, 2026.

Iranians in Dubai torn between hopes for change and fear for loved ones amid Iran war

Many Iranian residents in Dubai, which hosts one of the largest Iranian diaspora communities in the Gulf, spend their days waiting for brief messages or calls from relatives sheltering inside Iran.

A man rides a scooter at the Dubai Marina in Dubai on March 11, 2026.

Iran’s clerical succession masks a deeper shift to IRGC control - opinion

Mojtaba Khamenei’s succession may be symbolic as the IRGC quietly consolidates real power in Iran.

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of late Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attends a meeting in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2016.

Overthrow the Islamic Republic is an existential duty for Jews, Iranians - opinion

America and Israel are weakening the regime, after which civilians, with the help of these countries, will be able to take to the streets for the final battle once the bombings have ended.

A skull with a beard is raised into the air as while Iranian community members gather in support of regime change in Iran outside of the Westwood Federal Building in Los Angeles, California on March 7, 2026.

US offers reward for information on Mojtaba Khamenei, Iranian senior officials

Mojtaba Khamenei is believed to have been injured in the same airstrikes that killed his father, whom he recently succeeded as Iran's supreme leader.

People enter the State Department Building in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2017.

'Not very bright': US intel. shows Khamenei was unsure of his son replacing him as leader - report

CBS added that the White House further believes that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is currently pulling the strings within Iran. 

A woman holds a portrait of Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, on the day of a gathering to support Mojtaba Khamenei, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026.