He’s leader for life, his word is final in the highly factionalised theocratic regime of Iran and his influence extends across the flashpoints of the Middle East. Yet we know almost nothing about the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

And as you’ll hear, his loyalists defend him as stridently as his critics attack him.

Guests: 

• John Limbert – One of the 55 American hostages held in captivity in Iran in 1979 

• Arash Azizi - Iranian writer and Historian. Senior lecturer in political science and history at Clemson University 

• Fereshteh Sadeghi - Iranian journalist based in Tehran 

Producers: Zoe Ferguson and Linda Lopresti 

Executive Producer: Amruta Slee 

Sound Engineer: John Jacobs