Article #251616

The radical cleric took over as supreme leader in 1989 and is likely to be replaced by hardline figures

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When he appeared in public for the first time in five years in October 2024, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had an uncompromising message: Israel “won’t last long”, he told tens of thousands of supporters at a mosque in Tehran in a Friday sermon.

“We must stand up against the enemy while strengthening our unwavering faith,” the then-84-year-old told the gathering.