Ali Khamenei in the hospital 1981

Ali Khamenei in the hospital after the assassination attempt in 1981

On June 27, 1981, in the Abuzar Mosque in Tehran, Iran, then-presidential candidate Ali Khamenei was injured during a prayer speech. A bomb placed on the tape recorder in front of him exploded, causing severe damage to his arm, vocal cords, and lungs.

A young man, belonging to a rival political group MKO, concealed a bomb in a tape recorder and put it on the desk in front of Khamenei accompanied by some papers. After a minute, the recorder began whistling, then suddenly exploded.

Iranian people elected him President in October 1981.