Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hard-Line Cleric Who Made Iran a Regional Power, Is Dead at 86
As Iran’s second supreme leader, he brutally crushed dissent at home and expanded Iran’s footprint abroad, challenging Saudi Arabia for regional dominance.
Source: Nytimes.com
Original source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/world/middleeast/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-dead.html