Ayatollah Khamenei’s leadership was built on his rule of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the country’s most powerful military institution. He oversaw the forces’ mission, strategy, and missile programs.

Khamenei took charge of the missile programs by improving their precision. Moreover, he directed the IRGC’s Qods Force terrorist organization, which remains responsible for international operations. Under the Ayatollah’s rule, he facilitated the IRGC to deliver terror attacks targeting Israelis and Americans – including the October 7, 2023, Massacre, and the bombings throughout Buenos Aires, Argentina, throughout the 1990s. Within the country, his regime was built on human rights violations, repression of dissent, and violence to end protests. For example, during the recent protests in February 2026, the IRGC murdered tens of thousands of their own people. Across Israel and the United States, he was known as “Little Satan” and “The Great Satan,” as he had ties to groups hostile to those countries.

On February 28th, 2026, the United States and Israel conducted a successful operation to kill Ayatollah Khamenei, putting an end to his reign of terror.