‘Bitter, weak and corrupted’: How Ali Khamenei ruined Iran

Four months after he was assassinated by Israeli and US airstrikes on the first day of the Iran war, former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei has been buried in an elaborate funeral.But who was he behind all the mythology and pomp? How did he shape modern Iran into the impoverished, rogue nation it is today? And what does his life tell us about what his son Mojtaba Khamenei will be like as Iran’s new leader?Venetia Rainey speaks to Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian History and director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, about Khamenei’s legacy and backstory. Ali lays out how this fake ayatollah was corrupted by absolute power, how he allied with the IRGC to steal the state's wealth, and why his "princeling" son Mojtaba is even weaker. Highlights‘Bitter, weak and corrupted’: how Ali Khamenei ruined IranAli Ansari on his backstory and what his son Mojtaba will be likeCONTRIBUTORS:Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiaraineyAli Ansari, professor University of St Andrews @aa51_ansariWATCH US ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dkProducer: Peter ShevlinResearcher and Social Producer: Anna HindmarshStudio Operator: Andy WatsonExecutive Producer: Venetia Rainey ► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US: Contact the team on [email protected]► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.