AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI - SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN - Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei is the unelected authoritarian Supreme Leader of Iran. He is Iran’s head of state, commander-in-chief of its armed forces, and exercises near-absolute authority over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of Iran’s government. Ruling since 1981, he is the longest-serving leader in the Muslim world.