The day America killed the Ayatollah

Glossary

Iran - A country in Western Asia, officially called the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has a population of 84 million.

Middle East - The lands around the east of the Mediterranean Sea and Arabia.

Ayatollah - A title given to senior clergymen in Iran. Ayatollah Khameini's predecessor as Supreme Leader was Ayatollah Khomeini.

Ali Khamenei - The supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in US/Israeli airstrikes in 2026.

Qatar - A small country on the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Saudi Arabia. Like its larger neighbour, it has experienced rapid economic development but maintained strict conservative religious codes.

Jordan - A country that exists today in the Middle East.

Bahrain - An island country in the Middle East with a population of 1.7 million.

Dubai - A city in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. It is known for its ultramodern architecture, nightlife and shopping and is home to many Europeans.

Truth Social - US president Donald Trump's social media company.

Islamic Revolution - Also known as the Iranian Revolution. An uprising in 1978-9 that saw the overthrowing of Iran's monarchy and the creation of an Islamic republic.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - The armed forces that defends the Islamic regime in Iran.

Democracy - A system of government based on the idea of rule by the people.

Saddam Hussein - The president of Iraq from 1979 until 2003, when he was toppled by the USA. He was compared with Hitler because of his persecution of Kurds, an ethnic minority in northern Iraq, and his 1990 invasion of neighbouring Kuwait.

Power vacuum - A political situation where someone in power has lost control, creating space for new forces to take their place.