Ruhollah Khomeini

Ruhollah Khomeini (September 24, 1902 – June 3, 1989) was an Iranian Shia cleric and the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He led the 1979 Iranian Revolution that overthrew the Pahlavi monarchy and established Iran as an Islamic republic. Born in Khomeyn, he became a grand ayatollah and the Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. Khomeini's political philosophy of 'Velayat-e Faqih' (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) became the foundation of Iran's governance system. He was exiled from Iran in 1964 and lived in Turkey, Iraq, and France before returning triumphantly in 1979. His influence extended far beyond Iran, inspiring Islamic movements worldwide. The Iran hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq War, and the restructuring of Iranian society all occurred under his leadership.