Who is Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and why is he a possible target?

EXPLAINERTrump, who has previously said Khamenei should be ‘very worried’, is urging Iranians to overthrow their government.Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei [File: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP Photo]Published On 28 Feb 2026The United States and Israel have waged a new round of attacks on Iran, again derailing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and raising questions about efforts to target the country’s security and leadership apparatus.Among the areas targeted on Saturday in Iran’s capital Tehran were places linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran’s Khamenei says US will not be able to destroy governmentlist 2 of 3Iran’s Khamenei maintains tough rhetoric with US despite nuclear talkslist 3 of 3Iranian students rally as universities reopen after nationwide protestsend of listHere’s more on Khamenei and why the US and Israel are potentially seeking to “decapitate” the Islamic republic’s leadership:Where did Saturday’s attacks take place?Iranian media report the US-Israeli attacks occurred nationwide, including several areas in the capital, Tehran.Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported that seven missiles hit an area near the presidential palace, located in Shemiran to the north of Tehran, as well as near Khamenei’s compound.The Associated Press reported that attacks also struck near Khamenei’s offices in the capital.Where is Khamenei?It is unclear. The Reuters news agency cited a source as saying Khamenei was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.Who is Khamenei?The 86-year-old Islamic scholar has been Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding the Islamic Republic’s late founder, the charismatic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who returned from exile and drove Iran’s 1979 revolution that overthrew US ally and shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He holds ultimate authority over all branches of government, the military and the judiciary, while also acting as the country’s spiritual leader.During his rule, Khamenei has withstood an adversarial relationship with the West, including intense sanctions, and several rounds of protests at home over the economy and rights issues. He has called the US Iran’s “number one enemy”, with Israel trailing close behind.Critical to Khamenei’s power is the loyalty of two of Iran’s premier security institutions – the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij paramilitary forces, which have hundreds of ⁠thousands of volunteers.Khamenei has long said Iran would never build a nuclear weapon and that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. Neither US intelligence nor the UN nuclear watchdog have found any evidence that Iran was pursuing an atomic weapon, a narrative Israel and some in the Trump administration have nevertheless pushed.What have the US and Israel said about Khamenei?Officials from both countries have previously issued threats against Khamenei.In June, after the 12-day war of US-Israeli attacks on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliation against Israel, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Khamenei “cannot continue to exist”.“A dictator like Khamenei who stands at the head of a state like Iran and has the horrible goal of destroying Israel – cannot continue to exist,” he said.The same month, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Israel had not ruled out attempting to assassinate Khamenei, an act he said would “end” the long-running conflict between the US and Iran.In the US, President Donald Trump has also made remarks appearing to threaten Khamenei. In an interview with ABC News earlier this month, Trump said the Iranian leader should be “very worried”, as the US amassed military assets in the region. In separate remarks, he said regime change in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen” and that “there are people” who could assume leadership, without elaborating.As he ordered attacks on Iran last year, Trump then claimed Khamenei would be an “easy target” if the US decided to go after him.“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” said Trump. “He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”What was the goal of the latest attack?In remarks following the attacks, Trump pledged to “annihilate” Iran’s navy and missile sites, and urged Iranians to overthrow their government.“When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” said Trump. “This will be probably your only chance for generations.Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, who has covered Iran extensively, said it is clear that the US-Israeli attacks are “mainly aimed at decapitating [the political elite]”.