Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came back from death several times in his political career, but was ultimately killed in an Israeli attack. He ruled as the supreme leader of Iran for more than 36 years, from 1989 to 2026. Several assassination attempts were made against him, but the final attack proved fatal.
Khamenei was a presidential candidate in the early days of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. On June 27, 1981, when Ali Khamenei was giving a speech after prayers at the Abujar Mosque in Tehran, a bomb hidden in a tape recorder placed in front of him exploded.
Khamenei was seriously injured by this explosion. His right arm was permanently damaged and he was permanently paralyzed. His vocal cords and lungs were also injured. Treatment continued in the hospital for several months. This incident changed his life, and he later said, “I don’t need a hand, my brain and my tongue are enough.” The attack was part of a series of assassinations and bombings in Iran in 1981.
Just a day after the attack on Khamenei at the Abujar Mosque, a major bomb exploded at the headquarters of the Islamic Republican Party (IRP). The attack killed several top Iranian leaders, such as President Mohammad Ali Rajaei and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar. Although Khamenei himself was not present at this attack, it was part of a wave of violence in 1981 in which revolutionary leaders were targeted. The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) was held responsible for the incident.
March 15, 1985: Explosion in Tehran University
A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at Tehran University during prayers. Khamenei was present at the university at the time of the explosion, but escaped unharmed. Many people were injured in the attack.
Amidst the increasing tension between Iran and Israel-America, Israel carried out rapid missile attacks in Tehran. The target of these attacks were high officials of Iran. Khamenei was killed in these attacks. Iranian state media confirmed his death. US President Donald Trump also announced this on Truth Social and called it the death of one of the worst people in history. Iran declared 40 days of national mourning. Khamenei was 86 years old.
The attack was part of the US-Israeli joint operation of 2026, which dealt a deep blow to the Iranian regime. Khamenei survived the 1981 attack, but death finally caught up with him in 2026. Both the incidents happened on Saturday.