Khamenei's Death: Iran's Power Shift

0:00It's February 28th, here's your Adelaide News in two minutes. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died at age 86, ending his 36-year rule. U.S. and Israeli missile strikes hit Tehran for the second time in 12 months, leaving him no way out. He took power in 1989 after Ayatollah Homani's death and became the region's longest serving leader. Khamenei rose from a seminary student in Kwam to a key figure in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He survived a 1981 assassination attempt that paralyzed his right arm, served two terms as president during the Iran-Iraq war, and then expanded the Supreme Leader's role far beyond what anyone expected. At home, he kept the tight grip by balancing reformists and hardliners, crushing protests like the 2009 Green Movement and overseeing high. Numbers of executions Abroad, he built Shia militias across the Middle East and ran proxie fights against Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and Israel.

1:01His strategies often played rivals against each other, from stalling President Katami's changes to sidelining Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But recent clashes set back Iran's nuclear efforts and forced him into hiding. Now Iran's clerical system faces collapse, with big questions about who comes next. This could shift power across the Middle East, easing some tensions or sparking new ones. This episode is supported by our sponsor. If sleep podcasts are your thing, this is your pillow. Support for comfort and calm, S-O-L-L-I-SoliPillow.com