Death Of The Ayatollah : Khamenei: A Pragmatist

President Ali Khamenei, 49, named new leader of Iran after the death of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . . . has played key role in Islamic revolution . . . but lacks strong power base and may not have religious rank or political clout to permanently succeed the ayatollah . . . soft-spoken cleric retains wide popularity and has close ties with regular army . . . now aligned with one-time rival, Parliament Speaker Hashemi Rafsanjani, both considered pragmatists . . . supports Rafsanjani’s efforts to renew ties with West to end Iran’s isolation and help country’s reconstruction after Iran-Iraq War . . . spent three years in prison or internal exile under late Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi for revolutionary activities . . . rarely indulges in the fiery rhetoric of other Iranian leaders . . . was elected Iran’s third president in 1981 . . . chairs Supreme Defense Council, which devised Iranian strategy during eight-year war with Iraq . . . member of most of key councils and assemblies in Iran . . . was a member of Revolutionary Council, which governed Iran in early days of the revolution . . . had been Friday Prayer leader in Tehran, a key political platform . . . his political power base was badly eroded in 1987 when Khomeini disbanded Islamic Republic Party, main clerical group Khamenei headed . . . was seriously wounded--and still walks with a cane--by bomb blast in Tehran mosque in 1981 . . . born into religious family in northeastern city of Mashhad, hotbed of revolutionary fervor during struggle against shah . . . studied under Khomeini in the early 1960s . . . often called “poet president” because of his passion for literature . . . has written several books and translated others . . . married, with several children.