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132-494: Ali Hosseini Khamenei (born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989 . He previously served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's 35-year-long rule makes him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East, as well as the second-longest-serving Iranian leader of the last century after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi . Khamenei

264-451: A "prominent Iranian cleric and a former lawmaker said on Sunday that they had spoken to some of the authors and had no doubt the letter was genuine". According to this cleric, the letter's signatories number "several dozen, and are mostly midranking figures from Qum, Isfahan and Mashhad", and that "the pressure on clerics in Qum is much worse than the pressure on activists because the establishment

396-598: A 2010 version of these statements in the fatwa section of the website in Farsi as a fatwa on "Prohibition of Weapons of Mass Destruction". Doubts have been cast by experts on the existence of the fatwa as it can be changed or modified as and when deemed necessary, as well as doubts on its authenticity, its impact, and its apparently religious nature. Gareth Porter believes that the fatwa is "sincere" and Gholam-Hossein Elham commented that it will not change. In 2000, Khamenei sent

528-590: A Khamenei appointee, has warned the president of Iran against voicing opposition to Khamenei. In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini dismissed Ayatollah Montazeri as his political successor, giving the position to Khamenei instead. Because Khamenei was neither a marja' or ayatollah , the Assembly of Experts had to modify the constitution to award him the position of Iran's new Supreme Leader (a decision opposed by several grand ayatollahs). Khamenei officially succeeded Ruhollah Khomeini after Khomeini's death, being elected as

660-712: A broad foundation for defining Muslim orthodoxy. as well as elaborating on the factors needed to create Islamic unity, he argues: "neither the Shia Muslims allied with the British MI6 are Shias, nor the Sunni mercenaries of the American CIA are Sunnis, as they are both anti-Islamic." In 2010, Khamenei issued a fatwa that bans any insult to the Sahabah (companions of Muhammad) as well as Muhammad's wives . The fatwa

792-752: A descendant of the Aftasi Sayyids, whose lineage supposedly reached to Sultan ul-Ulama Ahmad, known as Sultan Sayyid, a grandchild of Shia fourth Imam, Ali al-Sajjad . Khamenei's education began at the age of four, by learning the Quran at Maktab ; he spent his basic and advanced levels of seminary studies at the hawza of Mashhad, under mentors such as Sheikh Hashem Qazvini and Ayatollah Milani . Then, he went to Najaf , Iraq , in 1957, but soon returned to Mashhad due to his father's unwillingness to let him stay there. In 1958, he settled in Qom where he attended

924-495: A disagreement with the heir he had chosen— Hussein Ali Montazeri —so there was no agreed-on successor when Khomeini died. The Assembly of Experts elected Khamenei as the next supreme leader on 4 June 1989, at age 50. According to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani , Khamenei was the man Khomeini had chosen as his successor. Khamenei has been head of the servants of Astan Quds Razavi since 14 April 1979. As supreme leader, Khamenei

1056-464: A father and a son." In 2012, Khamenei ordered a halt to a parliamentary inquiry into Ahmadinejad's mishandling of the Iranian economy. In 2016, Khamenei advised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his former ally with whom his relationship was strained after Ahmadinejad accused his son Mojtaba Khamenei of embezzling from the state treasury, to not run for president again. Khamenei rejected talks for referendums on

1188-478: A few months, at a televised meeting with then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Cabinet ministers, important clerics, the leader of parliament and provincial governors, the heads of state broadcasting and the Iranian chamber of commerce, Khamenei ordered: "to pass some laws, sell off some businesses, and be quick about it." Khamenei warned that "those who are hostile to these policies are the ones who are going to lose their interests and influence." In 1994, after

1320-528: A fortune running into billions of dollars." A six-month investigation by Reuters has said that Khamenei controls a "financial empire" worth approximately US$ 95 billion that the Iranian Parliament does not oversee, a figure much larger than the estimated wealth of the late Shah of Iran . According to the Reuters investigation, Khamenei uses the assets of a company called Headquarters for Executing

1452-676: A government reprisal for the Shia uprising under the leadership of Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr , who was based in the neighborhood. During the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq , Najaf was a key target of the invading United States Forces . The city was encircled during heavy fighting on 26 March 2003 and was captured on 3 April 2003 ( Battle of Najaf ). The clerical authorities of the Shī‘ī enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad , which claimed autonomy in April 2003, after

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1584-400: A high and rectangular place around which water is accumulated, although the water does not go above its level. Al-Shaykh al-Saduq appeals to a hadith from Ja'far al-Sadiq , claiming that "Najaf" comes from the phrase, "nay jaff" which means "the nay sea has dried" which gradually changed into "Najaf". "Najaf" is usually accompanied by the adjective "al-Ashraf" (the dignified). According to

1716-525: A landslide vote (97%) in the October 1981 Iranian presidential election in which only four candidates were approved by the Council of Guardians. Khamenei became the first cleric to be in the office. Ruhollah Khomeini had originally wanted to keep clerics out of the presidency but later changed his views. Khamenei was reelected in 1985 Iranian presidential election where only three candidates were approved by

1848-403: A letter to the Iranian parliament forbidding the legislature from debating a revision of the Iranian press law to allow more press freedom. He wrote: "The present press law has prevented this big plague. The draft bill is not legitimate and in the interests of the system and the revolution." Earlier in 1996, he issued a fatwa stating, "The promotion of music [both traditional and Western] in schools

1980-536: A major pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims. The largest cemetery in the world ( Wadi-us-Salaam ) and the oldest Shi'a Islamic seminary in the world ( Hawza of Najaf ) are located in Najaf. Due to Najaf's position as a holy city in Shia Islam, it is also referred to with the honorific name Najaf al-Ashraf ( Arabic : ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف ). According to Ibn al-Manzur , the word, "najaf" ( نجف ), literally means

2112-482: A new successor, a relatively low-ranking member of the clergy, Ali Khamene'i . However Article 109 stipulated that the leader be "a source of imitation" (Marja-e taqlid). Khomeini wrote a letter to the president of the Assembly for Revising the Constitution, which was in session at the time, making the necessary arrangements to designate Khamene'i as his successor, and Article 109 was revised accordingly. "Khomeini

2244-486: A part of 240 projects. It also includes development of two industrial parks. In 2024, prime minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani announced several projects in the city, during his visit to Najaf. The projects proposed by Al-Sudani included the Holy shrine's carpet-washing factory project will cost 3.46 billion. A cement bag factory covering an area of 75,000 square meters with a production capacity of 240 million bags per year,

2376-641: A phrase that would have been almost unimaginable not long ago." The letter was addressed to the head of the Assembly of Experts , Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a "powerful former president" who also questions the election results. According to the Associated Press, it is unlikely the letter's demands would be met as "two-thirds of the 86-member assembly are considered strong loyalists of Khamenei and would oppose" any investigation of him. According to The New York Times reporting in mid-August 2009,

2508-652: A prominent scholar close to the Shah, relayed to Shah Abbas that Imam Ali himself had manifested to him in a dream and ordered to use the gift to develop the area where the caravan had stopped. The Shah agreed and thus the city developed and came to be known as Najaf Abad . The name literally translates to "City of Najaf" in Persian . Some of the universities located in Najaf include: Najaf in Iraq and Qom in Iran are considered

2640-488: A salary. Shortly before Khomeini's death a change was made in the constitution allowing a lower ranking Shia cleric to become Supreme Leader. Khomeini had a falling out with his successor Hussein-Ali Montazeri who disapproved of human rights abuses by the Islamic Republic such as the mass execution of political prisoners in late summer and early autumn 1988. Montazeri was demoted as a marja and Khomeini chose

2772-482: A student, Khamenei traveled to Libya during his time as president. In his speeches, Khamenei regularly mentions many familiar themes of the 1979 revolution: justice, independence, self-sufficiency, Islamic government and resolute opposition to Israel and the United States, while rarely mentioning other revolutionary ideals such as democracy and greater government transparency. According to Karim Sadjadpour of

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2904-464: A tape recorder, exploded beside him. On 27 June 1981, while Khamenei had returned from the frontline , he went to the Aboozar Mosque according to his Saturday's schedule. After the first prayer, he lectured to worshippers who had written their questions on paper. Meanwhile, a young man who pressed a button put a tape recorder accompanied by papers on the desk in front of Khamenei. After a minute

3036-539: A very popular role model for Shiites and hoped for the Iranian Revolution to be the first step to a much larger Islamic revolution, transcending Shia Islam, in the same way that Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky wanted their revolution to be a world revolution, not just a Russian one. Duties and Powers given to the Supreme Leader by the Constitution, decrees and other laws are: The role of

3168-512: A video that surfaced during the 2017–18 Iranian protests , Khamenei is seen before the assembly said he was not religiously qualified to be a Supreme leader. Khamenei, who was ranked as a Hujjat al-Islam and not a marja' as required by the Iranian constitution, said he would only be a "ceremonial leader", and was reassured by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani the position would be "temporary" until a referendum, apparently planned for one year later. On 29 August 2022, al-Haeri announced his resignation from

3300-528: A whole human. Also in 2002, after protests erupted in the capital, Khamenei intervened against the death sentence given to Hashem Aghajari for arguing that Muslims should re-interpret Islam rather than blindly follow leaders. Khamenei ordered a review of the sentence against Aghajari, which was later commuted to a prison sentence. Khamenei annually issues messages on the occasion of Hajj for all Muslims (pilgrims) in Hajj. He commenced to issue such messages since

3432-474: Is Baha'i, as well as Shi'ite Muslims, business people and Iranians living abroad." Despite the negative accounts of Western sources, Iranian official authorities depict Setad as a vast charity foundation. In an interview in October 2014 with Islamic Republic News Agency , Muhammad Mukhber , the head of Setad, stated that over 90% of profits from Setad business activities are spent on improving infrastructure in

3564-519: Is a marja' , a title given to the highest level of religious cleric in Twelver Shi'sm . According to his official website, Khamenei was arrested six times before being exiled for three years during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In June 1981, after the Iranian revolution and the overthrow of the shah, he was the target of an attempted assassination that paralyzed his right arm. Khamenei

3696-524: Is a newspaper editor and cleric. His elder sister Fatemeh Hosseini Khamenei died in 2015, aged 89. His father was an ethnic Azerbaijani from Khamaneh , while his mother was an ethnic Persian from Yazd . Some of his ancestors are from Tafresh in today's Markazi Province and migrated from their original home in Tafresh to Khamaneh near Tabriz . Khamenei's great ancestor was Sayyid Hossein Tafreshi,

3828-403: Is a single community, and I am your Lord, so worship Me' [21:92]), and to assure the continuation of the struggle for the liberation of all deprived and oppressed peoples in the world. According to author Seyyed Vali Nasr, Khomeini appealed to the masses, during the pre-1979 period, by referring to them as the oppressed and with charisma and political ability was tremendously successful. He became

3960-523: Is afraid that if they say anything they can turn the more traditional sectors of society against the regime". Early in his presidency, Ahmadinejad was sometimes described as "enjoy[ing] the full backing" of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and even as being his "protege". In Ahmadinejad's 2005 inauguration the supreme leader allowed Ahmadinejad to kiss his hand and cheeks in what was called "a sign of closeness and loyalty", and after

4092-508: Is an important logistical hub that plays a pivotal role in facilitating transportation, particularly for religious tourism. Annually, it oversees the transit of over 3 million passengers, predominantly pilgrims visiting the holy sites in Najaf. It is situated in the eastern part of Najaf, approximately 6 kilometres from the city center. In February 2024, the Iraqi National Investment Commission (NIC) unveiled

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4224-519: Is as follows: The ritual of Bara'ah which means refusing every instance of mercilessness, cruelty, wrongdoing and corruption of the tyrants of any time, and rising against intimidation and extortion by the arrogant throughout history, is one of the great blessings of Hajj, and an opportunity for oppressed Muslim nations. Khamenei was one of the Ulama signatories of the Amman Message , which gives

4356-580: Is being constructed in Najaf. Another project is a glass production factory, which will have a net profit of 32% in the first year of operation because the Najaf desert region has high-quality raw materials for this factory. Najaf being home to the Sanctuary of Imam Ali (considered the first of the Twelve Imams and the patriarch of the subsequent eleven Imams) is the destination of large numbers of Shi’i religious pilgrims annually hailing from around

4488-695: Is considered a thriving pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims and the pilgrimage industry in the city boomed after the end of Saddam Hussein's rule. However, due to the U.S. sanctions on Iran , the number of Iranian pilgrims dropped significantly. Since the end of the 2003–2011 war , numerous projects have been proposed for Najaf. The city has become a model for development in Iraq. Najaf have been experiencing economic boom, along with political events. In 2008, over 50% of about licensed 200 investment projects totaling $ 8 billion were under construction in Najaf Governorate , with most development coming in

4620-538: Is considered sacred by Shi'a Muslims. An-Najaf is renowned as the site of the burial place of Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin, ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib . The city is now a center of pilgrimage throughout the Shi'ite Islamic world. It is estimated that only Mecca and Medina receive more Muslim pilgrims. As the burial site of one of Shi'a Islam's most important figure, the Imam Ali Mosque is considered by Shiites as

4752-408: Is contrary to the goals and teachings of Islam, regardless of age and level of study." Many music schools were closed and public (but not private) music instruction to children under 16 was banned thereafter. In 1999, Khamenei had issued a fatwa stating that it was permitted to use a third party (donor sperm, ova or surrogacy) in fertility treatments. This was different in "both style and substance" to

4884-554: Is supposed to have written a letter to the Chairman of the assembly of Leadership Experts on 29.4.89 in which he emphasised that he had always been of the opinion that the marja'iyat was not a requirement for the office of leader." The constitution of Iran combines concepts of both democracy and theocracy , theocracy in the form of Khomeini's concept of vilayat-e faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist), as expressed in

5016-728: Is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the provisional head of the three branches of the state (the Judiciary , the Legislature , and the Executive ). He oversees, appoints (or inaugurates) and can dismiss the following offices: Iran's regional policy is directly controlled by the office of the Supreme Leader with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ' task limited to protocol and ceremonial occasions. All of Iran's ambassadors to Arab countries, for example, are chosen by

5148-418: Is the capital city of Najaf Governorate in central Iraq about 160 km (99 mi) south of Baghdad . Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam and one of its spiritual capitals, as well as the center of Shia political power in Iraq. It is the burial place of Muhammad 's son in law and cousin, ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib , and thus

5280-641: Is the home of the Stars League club Al-Najaf as well as Naft Al-Wasat, whilst the former is the home stadium of the neighbouring Al-Kufa SC . The Iranian city of Najafabad was named by Shah Abbas I in honour of Najaf. According to the legend, Shah Abbas wanted to send a gift containing jewellery and coins to the Shrine of Imam Ali, but as the caravan carrying the gift was traveling towards Najaf it stopped at an area called Dahan near Isfahan , Iran , and refused to move. Following this, Shaykh Baha al-Din ,

5412-461: Is the most powerful political authority in the Islamic Republic. He is the head of state of Iran , the commander-in-chief of its armed forces , and can issue decrees and make the final decisions on the main policies of the government in economy, the environment, foreign policy, and national planning in Iran. As supreme leader, Khamenei has either direct or indirect control over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, as well as

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5544-475: Is used to fund Khamenei's Beit Rahbari compound, which employs over 500 stewards, as was reported in 2013. Hamid Vaezi, Setad's head of public relations, said the information "was far from realities and is not correct". The six-month investigation by Reuters found that, regarding the source of Setad's funds, "Setad built its empire on the systematic seizure of thousands of properties belonging to ordinary Iranians: members of religious minorities like Vahdat-e-Hagh, who

5676-499: The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , Khamenei has "resisted Rafsanjani's attempts to find a modus vivendi with the United States, Khatami's aspirations for a more democratic Islamic state, and Ahmadinejad's penchant for outright confrontation." In 2007, Khamenei called for privatizing state-owned companies, including the telephone company, three banks and dozens of small oil and petrochemical enterprises. After

5808-595: The Guardian Council (in 2016, 166 candidates were approved by the Guardians out of 801 who applied to run for the office), whose members in turn, are half appointed unilaterally by the Supreme Leader and half subject to confirmation by the Majlis after being appointed by the head of the Iranian judiciary ( Chief Justice of Iran ), who is himself appointed by the Supreme Leader. The Assembly has never questioned

5940-679: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna . It's been widely discussed by international officials and specifically recognized by the US administration. The Iranian official website for information regarding its nuclear program has provided numerous instances of public statements by Khamenei wherein he voices his opposition to the pursuit and development of nuclear weapons in moral, religious and Islamic juridical terms. Khamenei's official website specifically cites

6072-719: The Iraqi Army was expelled from Iran in 1982, Khamenei became one of the main opponents of his own decision to counter-invade into Iraq, an opinion Khamenei shared with Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi , with whom he would later conflict during the 2009–10 Iranian election protests . In its 10 April 1997 ruling regarding the Mykonos restaurant assassinations , the German court issued an international arrest warrant for Iranian intelligence minister Ali Fallahian after declaring that

6204-695: The Islamic Republic . According to Ayatollah Khomeini, the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist was not restricted to orphans or mental incompetents, but applied to everyone in absence of the twelfth Imam . Jurists were the only rightful political/governmental leaders because "God had commanded Islamic government" and "no one knew religion better than the ulama " (Islamic clergy). They alone would preserve "Islamic order" and keep everyone from deviating from "the just path of Islam". Prior to

6336-483: The Quds Force , which directly reports to the Supreme Leader. According to the constitution, all Supreme Leaders (following Ayatollah Khomeini) are to be elected by the Assembly of Experts who are elected by Iranian voters to eight year terms. However, all candidates for membership at the Assembly of Experts (along with candidates for president and for the Majlis (parliament)) must have their candidacy approved by

6468-621: The fall of Baghdad , claimed to be taking their orders from senior clerics in Najaf. On 4 April 2004, the Mahdi Army attacked the Spanish-Salvadoran-ALARNG base (Camp Golf, later renamed Camp Baker) in An Najaf, part of a coordinated uprising across central and southern Iraq in an apparent attempt to seize control of the country ahead of the 30 June 2004 handover of power to a new Iraqi government. This uprising led to

6600-528: The nuclear program of Iran , Khamenei issued a fatwa in 2003 forbidding the production, stockpiling and use of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction. Born to Seyed Javad Khamenei , an Alim and Mujtahid born in Najaf , and Khadijeh Mirdamadi (daughter of Hashem Mirdamadi ]) in Mashhad , Khamenei is the second of eight children. Two of his brothers are also clerics; his younger brother, Hadi Khamenei ,

6732-466: The revolution , observant Shia Muslims selected their own leading faqih to emulate (known as a Marja' -i taqlid ) according to their own decision making. The "congregation rather than the hierarchy decided how prominent the ayatollah was" thus allowing the public to possibly limit the influence of the Faqih. After the revolution Shia Muslims (or at least Iranian Shia) were commanded to show allegiance to

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6864-411: The 1950s, many historic buildings and monuments, including those adjoining the shrine, were demolished for the construction of Sadeq, Zainulabidin, Rasool and Tousi streets. In 1958, the city wall was torn down and replaced with a ring road . In the 1980s, the entire area between the shrine and the city's western edge was demolished, and the residents resettled outside the city, in what locals perceived as

6996-534: The 1970s had studied at Najaf. As of 2014, it was estimated to have about 13,000 students. The fall of the Ba'athist regime ended restrictions on Shi'ite pilgrimage, which led to a pilgrimage boom in Najaf and increased demand for facilities and infrastructure. In 2006, the government sponsored reconstruction of the previously demolished western area of the city as the City of Pilgrims project. Najaf, alongside Karbala ,

7128-433: The 1979 constitution is a "hybrid" of "theocratic and democratic elements" with much of it based on the ideas Khomeini presented in his published book Islamic Government ( Hukumat-e Islami ). In the work, Khomeini argued that government must be run in accordance with traditional Islamic sharia , and for this to happen a leading Islamic jurist ( faqih ) must provide political "guardianship" ( wilayat or velayat ) over

7260-552: The 1994 Qazvin protests, the 1999 student protests , the 2009 presidential election protests , the 2011–12 protests , the 2017–18 protests , the 2018–19 general strikes and protests , the 2019–20 protests , the 2021–22 protests , and the Mahsa Amini protests . Journalists, bloggers, and others have been imprisoned in Iran for insulting Khamenei, often in conjunction with blasphemy charges. Their sentences have included lashing and jail time; some have died in custody. Regarding

7392-452: The 2009 election fully endorsed Ahmadinejad against protesters. However, as early as January 2008 signs of disagreement between the two men developed over domestic policies, and by the period of 2010–11 several sources detected a "growing rift" between them. The disagreement was described as centered on Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei , a top adviser and close confidant of Ahmadinejad. Mashaei was vice president of Iran until being ordered to resign from

7524-550: The American Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , several factors have strengthened Khamenei in recent years: (1) A vast network of commissars stationed in strategic posts throughout government bureaucracies, dedicated to enforcing his authority; (2) the weak, conservative-dominated parliament, headed by Khamenei loyalist Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel (whose daughter is married to the Leader's son); (3)

7656-649: The American troops arriving in the city in the wake of the Spanish withdrawal. In August 2004, heavy fighting broke out again between U.S. forces and Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army. The battle lasted three weeks and ended when senior Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani negotiated an end to the fighting. In 2012, Najaf was named the Cultural Centre of the Arab World. On 6 March 2021, Pope Francis visited

7788-458: The Council of Guardians, receiving 87% of the votes. The only Iranian presidential election with fewer candidates approved by the Council of Guardians was the 1989 Iranian presidential election , where only two candidates were approved by the Council of Guardians to run, and Rafsanjani easily won 96% of the votes. In his presidential inaugural address, Khamenei vowed to eliminate "deviation, liberalism, and American-influenced leftists". According to

7920-637: The Euphrates made its way to the city once again. The shift in the river's flow was the product of a century-long effort by the Ottomans to shift the flow of the river, so as to deprive marsh-dwelling tribes like the Khaza'il of the watery environment that allowed them to evade state control. These long-term efforts rendered successful the construction of the Hindiyya Canal in 1793, which further shifted

8052-461: The Iran Chamber, vigorous opposition to the government, including nonviolent and violent protest, assassinations, guerrilla activity and insurrections, was answered by state repression and terror in the early 1980s, both before and during Khamenei's presidency. Thousands of rank-and-file members of insurgent groups were killed, often by revolutionary courts. By 1982, the government announced that

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8184-433: The Iranian Revolution, when the former President of Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani , then a confidant of Khomeini, brought Khamenei into Khomeini's inner circle. Later on, Hassan Rouhani , then a member of Parliament, arranged for Khamenei to get his first major post in the provisional revolutionary government as deputy defense minister. Khomeini appointed Khamenei to the post of Tehran's Friday prayers Imam in 1980, after

8316-503: The Iranian Vice Supreme Leader (Deputy Supreme Leader) was eventually incorporated into the authority of the Supreme Leader. During the presidency of Hassan Rouhani and amid longstanding rumors of Khamenei's declining health, it was recommended to Khamenei to reestablish the office of deputy supreme leader to better facilitate the transition towards new leadership. Najaf Najaf ( Arabic : ٱلنَّجَف ),

8448-456: The Islamic Republic of Iran has had only two Supreme Leaders: Khomeini, who held the position from 1979 until his death in 1989 and Ali Khamenei, who has held the position for more than 30 years since Khomeini's death. The Supreme Leader of Iran is elected by the Assembly of Experts ( مجلس خبرگان , Majles-e Khobregan ), which is also the only government body in charge of choosing and dismissing Supreme Leaders of Iran. The Supreme Leader

8580-627: The Order of the Imam or "Setad" in Farsi, to increase his grip on power. Reuters "found no evidence that Khamenei is tapping Setad to enrich himself," but did find that he used Setad's funds, which "rival the holdings of the shah", for political expedience – "Setad gives him the financial means to operate independently of parliament and the national budget, insulating him from Iran's messy factional infighting." According to The Daily Telegraph , money from Setad

8712-419: The Supreme Leader. There have been cases where the Guardian Council repealed its ban on particular people after being directed to do so by Khamenei. The Supreme Leader is legally considered "inviolable", with Iranians being routinely punished for questioning or insulting him. In March 1979, shortly after Ruhollah Khomeini 's return from exile and the overthrow of Iran's monarchy, a national referendum

8844-438: The Supreme Leader. In practice, the Assembly has never been known to challenge or otherwise publicly oversee any of the Supreme Leader's decisions (all of its meetings and notes are strictly confidential). Members of the Assembly are chosen by bodies (the Guardian Council ) whose members are appointed by the Supreme Leader or appointed by an individual ( Chief Justice of Iran ) appointed by the Supreme Leader. In its history ,

8976-403: The advantages of this "night of revival". In the 16th century, Najaf was conquered by the Ottoman Empire . The Safavid dynasty of Iran maintained continuous interest to this Shia site. During the Ottoman–Safavid War (1623–1639) , they were twice able to capture the city, but lost it again to the Ottomans in 1638. Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire , Najaf experienced severe difficulties as

9108-484: The ancient city of Ur . The city itself was founded in 791 [AD], by the Abbasid Caliph Harūn ar-Rashīd , as a shrine to ‘Alī bin Abī Ṭālib. Archaeological discoveries show the existence of a populace dating back to the 1st century BC. Najaf possesses one of the largest burial grounds in the vicinity for Christians. The centuries following have proven this to also be a city with a multicultural and religious people. Mohammed al-Mayali, director of Inspectorate Effects of

9240-427: The armed forces and then among the clerics, while administering the major bonyads and seminaries of Qom and Mashhad. Having been Supreme Leader for three decades, Khamenei has been able to place many loyalists throughout Iran's major institutions, "building a system that serves and protects him". Former cleric Mehdi Khalaji and Saeid Golkar, describe Khamenei's system as having creating a "parallel structure" for each of

9372-666: The assassination had been ordered by him with knowledge of Khamenei and Rafsanjani. Iranian officials, however, have categorically denied their involvement. The then-Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri dismissed the ruling as political, untrue and unsubstantiated. The ruling led to a diplomatic crisis between the governments of Iran and several European countries, which lasted until November 1997. The accused assassins, Darabi and Rhayel, were finally released from prison on 10 December 2007 and deported back to their home countries. Khamenei has fired and reinstated presidential cabinet appointments. Iran's Chief Justice Sadeq Larijani ,

9504-454: The author of al-Hawza al-'ilmiyya fi l-Najaf al-ashraf , this is because 'Ali, one of the most dignified persons, is buried in the city. Al-Ghari or al-Ghariyyan, Hadd al-'Adhra', al-Hiwar, al-Judi, Wadi l-Salam, al-Zahr, Zahr al-Kufa (behind Kufa), al-Rabwa, Baniqiya, and Mashhad are other names for this land. The area of An-Najaf is located 30 km (19 mi) south of the ancient city of Babylon , and 400 km (248 mi) north of

9636-515: The basis of Islamic norms. ... the Constitution provides the necessary basis for ensuring the continuation of the Revolution at home and abroad. In particular, in the development of international relations, the Constitution will strive with other Islamic and popular movements to prepare the way for the formation of a single world community (in accordance with the Koranic verse 'This your community

9768-412: The broadcasting council and supreme judicial council, were not successful in practice and the leadership council would not do well for similar reasons. iii) People were accustomed to the leadership of an individual and a council of leaders was something unfamiliar to them. iv) An individual leader could act more decisively when dealing with critical and essential decisions and solving problems and crisis. On

9900-469: The burial place except for a few trusted people. It is narrated that more than a hundred years later the Abbasid Caliph, Harun al-Rashid , went deer hunting outside Kufah, and the deer sought sanctuary at a place where the hounds would not pursue it. On inquiry as to why the place was a sanctuary, he was told that it was the burial place of ‘Ali. Harūn ar-Rashīd ordered a mausoleum to be built on

10032-784: The cabinet by the supreme leader, and was also an opponent of "greater involvement of clerics in politics". In 2009, Ahmadinejad dismissed Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i , an opponent of Mashaei. In April 2011, another Intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi , resigned after being asked to by Ahmadinejad but was reinstated by the supreme leader within hours. Ahmadinejad declined to officially back Moslehi's reinstatement for two weeks and in protest engaged in an "11-day walkout" of cabinet meetings, religious ceremonies, and other official functions. Ahmadinejad's actions led to angry public attacks by clerics, parliamentarians and military commanders, who accused him of ignoring orders from

10164-606: The case of the Judiciary Council. Ebrahim Amini listed the summary of the reasons presented by the two sides. According to him, the opposers rejected the proposal because i) Evidence for Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist was true only for the guardianship of an individual and it was not clear who held the guardianship when there was a council. The guardianship of a council was not rooted in Hadiths and Islamic jurisprudence. ii) Previous council-type organizations, such as

10296-474: The centuries, numerous hospices, schools, libraries and convents were built around the shrine to make the city the center of Shīʻa learning and theology. The An-Najaf seminary, or Hawza Najaf , is one of the most important teaching centres in the Islamic world. Ayatollah Khomeini lectured there from 1965 to 1978. Many of the leading figures of the new Islamic movement that emerged in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon in

10428-498: The city during his historic papal visit to Iraq and held an interfaith dialogue with al-Sistani, where he expressed a message of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the country. Najaf has a hot desert climate , BWh in the Köppen climate classification , with long, very hot summers and mild winters. The average annual temperature is 23.6 °C (74.5 °F). The rainfall averages 69 mm (2.71 in). An-Najaf

10560-411: The city is considered to have started with Ali who instructed that his burial place should remain a secret, as he had many enemies and he feared that his body might be subjected to some indignity. According to legend, the body of Ali was placed on a camel which was driven from Kufah . The camel stopped a few miles west of the city where the body was secretly buried. No tomb was raised and nobody knew of

10692-578: The classes of Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi and Ruhollah Khomeini . Like many other politically active clerics at the time, Khamenei was far more involved with politics than religious scholarship. Khamenei was a key figure in the Iranian Revolution in Iran and a close confidant of Ruhollah Khomeini . Since the founding of the Islamic Republic , Khamenei has held many government posts. Muhammad Sahimi claims that his political career began after

10824-520: The constitution required the Supreme Leader to be Marja' -e taqlid , the highest-ranking cleric in the religious laws of Usuli Twelver Shia Islam . In 1989, however, the constitution was amended and simply asked for Islamic "scholarship" to allow the Supreme Leader to be a lower-ranking cleric. As the Guardian Jurist ( Vali-ye faqih ), the Supreme Leader guides the country, protecting it from heresy and imperialist predations, and ensuring

10956-520: The country's institutions (army, intelligence agencies, etc.) to keep those institutions weak. According to Vali Nasr of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies , "[Khamenei] [took] many of the powers of the presidency with him and [turned] the office of the supreme leader into the omnipotent overseer of Iran's political scene". In Nasr's view, Khamenei is an "unusual sort of dictator". Officials under Khamenei influence

11088-552: The country's various powers, and sometimes bickering, institutions, including "the parliament, the presidency, the judiciary, the Revolutionary Guards, the military, the intelligence services, the police agencies, the clerical elite, the Friday prayer leaders and much of the media", as well as various "nongovernmental foundations, organizations, councils, seminaries and business groups". Khamenei issues decrees and makes

11220-463: The courts would be reined in, although various political groups continued to be repressed by the government in the first half of the 1980s. Khamenei was one of Iran's leaders during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s and developed close ties with the now-powerful Revolutionary Guards . As president, he had a reputation for being deeply interested in the military, budget and administrative details. After

11352-401: The current vali-e faghih , Guardian Jurist or Supreme Leader. In this new system, the jurist oversaw all governmental affairs. The complete control exercised by the Faqih was not to be limited to the Iranian Revolution because the revolution and its Leader had international aspirations. As the constitution of the Islamic Republic states, it intends to establish an ideal and model society on

11484-530: The death of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Araki , the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom declared Khamenei a new marja. Several ayatollahs, however, declined to recognize him as such. Some of those dissidents clerics included Mohammad Shirazi , Hossein-Ali Montazeri , Hassan Tabatabai-Qomi , and Yasubedin Rastegar Jooybari . In 1997, for example, Montazeri "questioned the powers of the Leader" and

11616-531: The excavation was proof of a thriving glass industry. Pots were decorated with the cross. as well as Hebrew writings, indicating a community of religious coexistence." Wadi-us-Salaam in Najaf was a holy cemetery for Jewish and was Najaf called at that time Baniqia, and could be this is the first name of Najaf area. The name Baniqia also was found in some texts which tell that in one day Abraham visited this village and stayed couple of days, then he continued in his journey from Mesopotamia to Arabia. In Islam ,

11748-417: The fatwa on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) by Gad El-Hak Ali Gad El-Hak of Egypt's Al-Azhar University in the late 1980s which permitted ART (IVF and similar technologies) as long there is no third-party donation (of sperm, eggs, embryos, or uteruses). In 2002, Khamenei ruled that human stem cell research was permissible under Islam, with the condition that it be used to create only parts instead of

11880-504: The final decisions on the economy, environment, foreign policy and everything else in Iran. Khamenei regularly meets with the president, cabinet members, head and officials of the judiciary branch, parliamentarians, among others, and tells them what to do. Khamenei has also fired and reinstated presidential cabinet appointments. Khamenei meets with foreign dignitaries, however, he does not travel overseas; if anyone wishes to see him, that person must travel to Iran. Apart from his time in Najaf as

12012-412: The flow of the Euphrates. These hydrological shifts were to have religious implications. Most notable was the consolidation and spread of Shi'ism. As the shrine city of Najaf gained access to water again, its notables and holy men began to wield considerable power in the area. In 1811, the last city wall was rebuilt. The Ottomans were expelled in an uprising in 1915, following which the city fell under

12144-410: The formation of over 350 thousand jobs expecting a total of 700 thousands for the upcoming three years. Mukhber also cited a sum total grant of 2.21 trillion rials of Qard al-Hasan , interest-free loans, to 41 thousands families in poor regions of the country. He also revealed plans of gradual sell-off of Setad profitable businesses in the stock market with the aim of transferring their ownership into

12276-505: The foundations for the rise of the city of Qom as the center of the Shi‘ite learning and authority, in lieu of Najaf. Najaf lost its religious primacy to Qom, and was not to regain it until the 21st century, during the establishment of a Shī‘ī -majority government in Iraq after 2003. In the 20th century, much of the Old City was rebuilt in a series of modernization initiatives. Beginning in

12408-407: The grave of Ali ibn Abu Talib is thought to be. It is a handsome place and well peopled. There is no governor here, except a sort of tribune. The inhabitants consist chiefly of rich and brave merchants. About the gardens are plastered walls adorned with paintings, and within them are carpets, couches and lamps of gold and silver. Within the city is a large treasury kept by the tribune, which arises from

12540-489: The grave soon after sun-set. People then, some praying, some reciting the Quran, and others prostrating themselves, wait expecting their recovery and rising, when about the night, they all get up sound and right. This is a matter well known among them: I heard it from a creditable person, but was not present at one of those nights. I saw, however, several such afflicted persons, who had not yet received, but were looking forward for

12672-457: The hands of Iranian people. He also envisioned the construction and delivery of 17 thousand housing units to families in poor regions of Iran by 2018. In mid-August 2009, a group of unnamed former reformist lawmakers appealed to the Assembly of Experts – the constitutional body charged with electing and (in theory) supervising and removing the Leader – to investigate Leader Ali Khamenei's qualification to rule. A week later another anonymous letter

12804-422: The head of committee responsible for revising the Constitution, asking Khomeini's viewpoint regarding the 'marjaʿiyyat criteria, Khomeini said: "From the very beginning, I believed and insisted that there is no need for the requirements of marjaʿiyyat (authority in jurisprudence). A pious mujtahid (jurist-intellectual), who is approved by the esteemed Assembly of Experts ( Majlis-i Khobregan ), will suffice." In

12936-405: The housing and tourism sectors. Najaf has been described as a strategically important city with a stable investment environment and available skilled manpower. The city has experienced an increase in investment. Saudi Arabian firm ACWA Power is in process to construct 1,000 MW solar power plant in Najaf. The government proposed to build 15 housing complexes in Najaf, with a cost of $ 7 billion as

13068-441: The importance of the Supreme Leader. Article 5 states during the absence of the removed Twelfth Imam (may God hasten his reappearance) government and leadership of the community in the Islamic Republic of Iran belong to the rightful God fearing legal scholar (Faqih) who is recognized and acknowledged as the Islamic leader by the majority of the population. Article 107 in the constitution mentions Khomeini by name and praises him as

13200-410: The laws of Islam are followed. The style "Supreme Leader" ( Persian : رهبر معظم , romanized :  rahbar-e mo'azzam ) is commonly used as a sign of respect although the Constitution designates them simply as "Leader" ( رهبر , rahbar ). According to the constitution (Article 111), the Assembly of Experts is tasked with electing (following Ayatollah Khomeini), supervising, and dismissing

13332-409: The leader's intervention or resign, and on 8 May he "apparently bowed" to the reinstatement, welcoming back Moslehi to a cabinet meeting. The events have been said to have "humiliated and weakened" Ahmadinejad. However, the president denied that there had been any rift between the two, and according to the semiofficial Fars News Agency , he stated that his relationship with the supreme leader "is that of

13464-501: The military and media. All candidates for the Assembly of Experts, the presidency and the Majlis (Parliament) are vetted by the Guardian Council , whose members are selected directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader of Iran. There have also been instances when the Guardian Council reversed its ban on particular people after being ordered to do so by Khamenei. There have been major protests during Khamenei's reign, including

13596-432: The most learned and talented leader for emulation ( marja-i taqlid ). The responsibilities of the Supreme Leader are vaguely stated in the constitution, thus any 'violation' by the Supreme Leader would be dismissed almost immediately. As the rest of the clergy governed affairs on a daily basis, the Supreme Leader is capable of mandating a new decision as per the concept of Vilayat-e Faqih. The Supreme Leader does not receive

13728-407: The mujtahids of the Assembly. Since Khamenei was not a marja' at the time—which the Iranian constitution required—he was named as the temporary Supreme Leader. Later, the constitution was amended to remove that requirement and the Assembly of Experts reconvened on 6 August 1989, to reconfirm Khamenei with 60 votes out of 64 present. On 29 April 1989, responding to the letter of Ayatollah Meshkini ,

13860-404: The new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts on 4 June 1989 . Initially, some members of the Assembly of Experts proposed the idea of a leadership council. Various lists were proposed and Khamenei was named in all of them. For instance, a council of three members, Ali Meshkini , Mousavi Ardebili and Khamenei, was proposed to lead Iran. According to Rafsanjani, he and Khamenei were against

13992-459: The other hand, the supporters of the proposal believed that: i) At the time, there were no Faqih equal to Khomeini or even two or three levels lower than him so that he could fulfill the expectation of people. ii) In the case of a council of leaders, the members could compensate each other, if any of them had some shortage in a field. Finally, 45 members voted against the leadership council proposal while more than 20 people were in favor of it and

14124-430: The people. The leading jurist were known as Marja' . The Constitution stresses the importance of the clergy in government, with Article 4 stating that all civil, criminal, financial, economic, administrative, cultural, military, political, and all other statutes and regulations (must) be keeping with Islamic measures;…the Islamic legal scholars of the watch council (Shura yi Nigahban) will keep watch over this. and

14256-401: The poor regions of the country, creating jobs and improving the well-being of people in these regions reflecting the top concerns of Iran's Supreme Leader, Khamenei for the Iranian society. He states that 85 percent of Setad's charitable works occur in poor Iran regions. He cited the construction of several hundred schools, mosques and hussainiyas , as well as direct and indirect contributions to

14388-606: The position of marja due to old age and illness. This was described as the first time in history a marja has ever resigned from his position. He called on his followers to follow Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran as "the best person for the leadership of our people and removing the aggressors". Khamenei's era has differed from that of his predecessor. He has, however, continued Khomeini's policy of "balancing one group against another, making sure that no single side gains too much power." But lacking Khomeini's charisma and clerical standing, he has developed personal networks, first inside

14520-400: The proposal was rejected. After the assembly rejected the idea of a Leadership Council, Khamenei was elected Leader by 60 of the 74 members present with Grand Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani receiving the remaining 14 votes. Although he eventually accepted the post, Khamenei made protestations of his unworthiness, saying "my nomination should make us all cry tears of blood", and debated with

14652-410: The proposal, while Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi  [ fa ] and Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini were in favor of it. Supporters of the council proposal believed that having a council would produce a higher degree of unity in society and more positive characteristics would be found in a council. In contrast, the opposers believed that an individual leader was more efficient according to past experiences in

14784-475: The province of Najaf, states "the excavation on the graves, which we have been working on for years, confirm that "Najaf" contains the largest Christian cemetery in Iraq, with a cemetery area of 1416 acres. We have found indications of Christianity on the graves through representations of crosses and stones with Christ-like engravings. There are also relics that date back to the Sassanid period. Also discovered in

14916-609: The rapidly rising political and economic influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards , whose top leaders are directly appointed by Khamenei and have always been publicly obedient to him; (4) the political disengagement of Iran's young population ...; and (5) most significant[ly], the 2005 presidential election, which saw hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad trounce Khamenei's chief rival ... Hashemi Rafsanjani ... According to Christopher Dickey , to consolidate his power base, Khamenei has developed close relations with

15048-419: The recorder began whistling, then suddenly exploded. "A gift of Furqan Group to the Islamic Republic" was written on the inner wall of the tape recorder. Khamenei's treatment took several months and his arm, vocal cords and lungs were seriously injured. He was permanently injured, losing the use of his right arm. In 1981, after the assassination of Mohammad-Ali Rajai, Khamenei was elected President of Iran by

15180-551: The resignation of Hussein-Ali Montazeri from the post. He was briefly the vice Minister of National Defence from late July to 6 November 1979 and as a supervisor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. He also went to the battlefield as a representative of the parliament's defense commission. Khamenei narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by the Mujahedin-e Khalq when a bomb, concealed in

15312-521: The result of repeated raids by Arab desert tribes and the Persian army with acute water shortages causing lack of a reliable water supply. The number of inhabited houses in the city had plummeted from 3,000 to just 30 by the start of the 16th century. When the Portuguese traveller Pedro Texeira passed through Najaf in 1604, he found the city in ruins, inhabited by little more than 500 people. This

15444-671: The rule of the British Empire . The sheikhs of Najaf rebelled in 1918, killing the British governor of the city, Sayyed Mahdi Al-Awadi, and cutting off grain supplies to the Anazzah , a tribe allied with the British. In retaliation the British besieged the city and cut off its water supply . The rebellion was put down and the rule of the sheikhs was forcibly ended. A great number of the Shi‘i ‘Ulema’ were expelled into Persia , where they set

15576-482: The security and military establishment while also expanding the bureaucracy inside the government and around his Beit Rahbari compound. Writing in The Daily Telegraph , Damien McElroy and Ahmad Vahdat observed: "The ayatollah likes to cultivate an image of austerity but receives major commissions from the Iranian oil and arms industries and there have been regular claims that he and his son have amassed

15708-403: The spot and in due course the town of Najaf grew around the mausoleum. In early 14th century, Sheikh Ibn Battuta visited the burial site of Ali ibn Abi Talib during his travels in Iraq after his pilgrimage to Mecca. During this period, Najaf was called Meshhed Ali. As Translated by Samuel Lee , Ibn Battuta in his Arabic Rihla relates: We next proceeded to the city of Meshhed Ali where

15840-526: The start of his responsibility as the supreme leader of Iran (1989). He continually invites all Muslims to Tawhid , and afterward expresses the significance of Hajj in spiritual/social life. He also asks the Muslims to be aware of what he considers "the conspiracy of the enemies" by having a right comprehension and advises them to "not be deceived by them". So far, Iran's supreme leader has issued 32 messages (since 1989). A part of his last message (6 August 2019)

15972-420: The state's future, questioning people's judgment and causing public outrage. In 2024 he claimed that while speaking to his military he had been saying what words God put in his tongue. Khamenei has reportedly issued a fatwa saying the production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons was forbidden under Islam. The fatwa was cited in an official statement by the Iranian government at an August 2005 meeting of

16104-462: The supreme leader. Conservative opponents in parliament launched an "impeachment drive" against him, four websites with ties to Ahmadinejad reportedly were "filtered and blocked", and several people "said to be close" to the president and Mashaei (such as Abbas Amirifar and Mohammed Sharif Malekzadeh ) were arrested on charges of being "magicians" and invoking djinns . On 6 May 2011, it was reported that Ahmadinejad had been given an ultimatum to accept

16236-462: The third holiest Islamic site. The Imam ‘Ali Mosque is housed in a grand structure with a gold gilded dome and many precious objects in the walls. Nearby is the Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery, the largest in the world. It contains the tombs of several prophets and many of the devout from around the world aspire to be buried there, to be raised from the dead with Imām ‘Alī on Judgement Day . Over

16368-607: The two main centres of traditional Shia Islamic education today, and both have their own separate administrations and curricula. The Najaf Seminary (Hawza) established in the 11th century CE is the oldest hawza among those still active. Some of the prominent scholars that have graduated from the Najaf Seminary, include Murtadha al-Ansari , Muhammad Kazim Khurasani also known as al-Akhund , Mohammed Kazem Yazdi , Abbas Qomi also known as al-Muhaddith , Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei and Ali al-Sistani . Najaf International Airport

16500-516: The votive offerings arrived from different parts: for when anyone happens to be ill, or suffer under any infirmity, he will make a vow, and thence receive relief. The garden is also famous for its miracles; and hence it is believed that the grave of Ali is there. Of these miracles, the "night of revival" is one: for, on the 17th day of the month Rejeb, cripples come from different parts of Fars, Room, Khorasaan, Irak, and other places, assemble in companies from twenty to thirty in number. They are placed over

16632-561: The world. The city of Najaf is home to Al-Najaf SC and Naft Al-Wasat SC that play in Iraq Stars League (the highest division) and the second tier Iraqi Premier Division League , respectively. Najaf has two football stadiums, the An-Najaf Stadium (also referred to as the old stadium) with a capacity of 12,000 spectators, and the newer Al-Najaf International Stadium with a capacity of 30,000. The latter stadium

16764-445: Was held throughout Iran with the question "Islamic Republic, yes or no?" . Although some groups objected to the wording and choice and boycotted the referendum, 98% of those voting voted "yes". Following this landslide victory, the constitution of Iran of 1906 was declared invalid and a new constitution for an Islamic state was created and ratified by referendum during the first week of December in 1979 . According to Francis Fukuyama ,

16896-441: Was issued "calling Iran's leader a dictator and demanding his removal", this one by a group of Iranian clerics. The letters were called a blow to Khamenei's "status as a neutral arbiter and Islamic figurehead" and an "unprecedented challenge to the country's most powerful man" though not a blow to his actual power as a leader. The New York Times reports "the phrase 'death to Khamenei' has begun appearing in graffiti on Tehran walls,

17028-543: Was issued to reconcile legal, social, and political disagreements between Sunni and Shia. In 2017, he issued a fatwa against women riding bicycles in public. Principlist groups Supreme Leader of Iran The office was established by the Constitution of Iran in 1979, pursuant to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini 's concept of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist , and is a lifetime appointment. Originally

17160-598: Was largely the result of a change in the course of the Euphrates river eastwards in the direction of Hilla , leaving Najaf and Kufa high and dry, leading to the destruction of the local formerly rich agriculture, demise of the palm groves and orchards, followed by the salinization of the underground water due to evaporation. During the 18th century, the scholarly life of Najaf came to be dominated by Farsi -speaking ‘ Ulema ’ ( Arabic : عُلُمَاء , Scholars) from Iran . The water shortages were finally resolved in 1803 when

17292-529: Was one of Iran's leaders during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s, and developed close ties with the Revolutionary Guards , which he controls, and whose commanders are elected and dismissed by him. The Revolutionary Guards have been deployed to suppress opposition to him. Khamenei served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989, while becoming a close ally of the first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini . Shortly before his death, Khomeini had

17424-532: Was subsequently punished for his comments with the closure of his religious school, an attack on his office in Qom, and a period of house arrest. The table below lists some of the incumbent senior officeholders in Iran directly appointed by the supreme leader (sorted by date of appointment): Khamenei developed a cult of personality ; with supporters describing him as a "divine gift to mankind" and in which Khamenei critics are persecuted. According to Karim Sadjadpour of

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