# The Assembly of Experts selects Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader

Date: 1989

## The fact

On 4 June 1989, after Ruhollah Khomeini’s death, the Assembly of Experts selected [Ali Khamenei](/people/ali-khamenei) as Supreme Leader. It is not a popular election.

## Context

He had been president. Neighbouring 1981 presidency is earlier.

13 October 1981 presidency is neighbouring. UN 598 is 1988.

The Supreme Leader of Iran is commander-in-chief and the highest constitutional authority. He does not write a US presidential strike order, an IAEA Board resolution, or a Hamas military plan. Presidents, the IRGC, and the Guardian Council implement and share specific files.

## Evidence and sources

Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran carries the official instrument or communique. Reuters records the same dated act independently.

## Significance

The path is [democratic resilience](/drivers/democratic-resilience): a completed clerical succession is a dated non-electoral transfer of the highest office.

## What is established and what is not

Established: 4 June 1989 Assembly selection of Khamenei as Leader, independently reported.

Not established: a popular mandate, or a unique later GDP coefficient from the ceremony.

What would change the picture: a contradictory original with a different date or name, a later repeal, a court that vacated the instrument, or a measured series that can be argued, with lag and alternatives, as a consequence of this instrument rather than of later institutions.

The date is the date of this instrument, not a licence to back-date every later harm or benefit.

He accepted. Khomeini had died.. A later repeal, court stay, or successor order would be a different Fact with a different date. That pair identifies The Assembly of Experts selects Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader, not a later speech about The Assembly of Experts selects Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader.

Co-authors and later implementers named in Context remain on the file. The Assembly of Experts selects Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader on 1989-06-04 is not a licence to treat every later Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran communique as this same act. If a later repeal, stay, or successor instrument exists, it needs its own date and its own row. This dossier refuses to average The Assembly of Experts selects Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader into a personality. The contribution described on this Person row is limited to The Assembly selected. He accepted. Khomeini had died. That limit is the alternative to treating office-holding as authorship of every later series.

## People

- Ali Khamenei: https://factrail.ai/people/ali-khamenei

## Drivers

- Democratic Resilience: https://factrail.ai/drivers/democratic-resilience

## Sources

- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-khamenei-1989-idUSKCN0Q70R5
- https://english.khamenei.ir/

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/ir-sl-1989