To some, he’s a dictator who rules with repression. To his followers, a “divine gift to mankind.” I did some digging and found how a young Khamenei was once imprisoned and tortured for speaking out against the king of Iran. His rise to Supreme Leader has layers, maybe even clues to why he refused to back down during the Israel-Iran conflict, and how he now warns the US and Israel of dire consequences. This is the story of how Ali Khamenei became one of the most powerful figures in the world.

To some, he’s a dictator who rules with repression. To his followers, a “divine gift to mankind.” I did some digging and found how a young Khamenei was once imprisoned and tortured for speaking out against the king of Iran. His rise to Supreme Leader has layers, maybe even clues to why he refused to back down during the Israel-Iran conflict, and how he now warns the US and Israel of dire consequences. This is the story of how Ali Khamenei became one of the most powerful figures in the world.