Ruhollah Khomeini

Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989. Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian political revolutionary and Shia cleric who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the main leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and transformed Iran into an Islamic republic. His 1989 funeral drew over 40 million mourners, more than any other leader in history.