Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's 1981 Assassination Attempt: A Near-Fatal Blast That Shaped Iran

• Ayatollah Ali Khamenei survived a 1981 assassination attempt at Abuzar Mosque, leaving him permanently injured with limited use of his right arm.
• A bomb hidden in a tape recorder exploded during his speech, critically wounding him.
• The attack occurred during a volatile period in Iran, two years after the revolution, amidst factional battles and widespread assassinations.
• The Mujahideen e Khalq, a militant group, was widely attributed for the bombing.
• The failed assassination elevated Khamenei's political profile, leading to his election as President and later Supreme Leader, shaping Iran's approach to security and dissent.