Khamenei assumed power following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, inheriting a revolutionary state still consolidating itself.

Questions remain over who succeed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who Iranian state media said was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes. According to Iran’s constitution, electing his successor will fall to an 88-member body of clerics.

Though some Iranians mourned the death of their supreme leader, others rejoiced. Their celebrations were furtive and short-lived to avoid riot police or other authorities.

The New York Times faced criticism for calling Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a "hard-line cleric" that made Iran a "regional power" in a obituary headline.

The 36-year rule of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei built Iran into a powerful anti-U.S. force, while using an iron fist to crush repeated unrest at home.

Ayatollah Khamenei became Iran’s supreme leader in 1989, wielding ultimate religious and political authority over the state and security apparatus.

In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) reacts to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and criticizes the Trump administration for not having a “strategic plan” after striking Iran.

Authorities say at least 10 people were killed and dozens wounded in clashes with police on Sunday after hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S.