Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hard-Line Cleric Who Made Iran a Regional Power, Is Dead at 86
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by Alan Cowell and Farnaz FassihiMarch 1, 2026
As Iran’s second supreme leader, he brutally crushed dissent at home and expanded Iran’s footprint abroad, challenging Saudi Arabia for regional dominance.
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Originally published on NYT Homepage on 3/1/2026