Tensions Rise in Middle East Amid Escalating Conflicts

The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the head of government of Iran. In the Iranian system of government established after the Islamic Revolution, the supreme leader is the de facto head of state of Iran.

The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the head of government of Iran. In the Iranian system of government established after the Islamic Revolution, the supreme leader is the de facto head of state of Iran.

Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He served as Minister of Economics and Finance under President François Hollande from 2014 to 2016. He has been a member of Renaissance since founding the party in 2016.

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, and was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.

Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei is an Iranian politician and Muslim cleric. The second eldest child of Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei served in the Iran–Iraq War from 1987 to 1988, and also reportedly took control of the Basij that was used to suppress the protests over the 2009 election.

Ali Hosseini Khamenei was an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the 2nd supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination during the 2026 Iran conflict. He previously served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years and six months, made him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East at the time of his death. He held the title of Ayatollah and was considered one of the world's leading Shia marja'.

The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the head of government of Iran. In the Iranian system of government established after the Islamic Revolution, the supreme leader is the de facto head of state of Iran.

Ficre Ghebreyesus was an Eritrean-American artist who made colorful paintings in a series of styles including representational, abstract, and a surreal combination of the two. His paintings show influences of European and American art as well as the culture and scenery of his native country. Many are small works; others as much as mural-sized. One critic saw his work as "dynamic, complicated and textually rich." The critic added that the paintings, "form at the nexus of culture, history and memory, sprawling across the canvas, and flowing out into this and other worlds." Ghebreyesus showed infrequently in commercial galleries and his work achieved widespread recognition only after its appearance in posthumous exhibitions.

Corruption in Iran is widespread, especially in the government. According to a report in 2024, the Islamic Republic of Iran ranks close to the bottom on the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International. While Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei claims corruption in the country is "occasional rather than systemic," independent observers generally view corruption in Iran as an instrument of national strategy and a core feature of the political order.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu is a Nigerian politician serving as the 16th and current president of Nigeria since 2023. He previously served as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and senator for Lagos West in the Third Republic.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu is a Nigerian politician serving as the 16th and current president of Nigeria since 2023. He previously served as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and senator for Lagos West in the Third Republic.