Times Website, 31 Oct 2013 – Concerns are growing in Iran about the health of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s Supreme Leader, amid fears of a power vacuum at a critical moment for the Islamic Republic.
Ayatollah Khamenei, 74, Iran’s most powerful man, has not been seen in public for three weeks. Reports suggest that he has had a relapse of a chronic illness.
He became Supreme Leader in 1989 and has no appointed heir. His death, or even a prolonged absence, could prompt a power struggle as negotiations with the West over Iran’s nuclear programme reach a crucial stage.