Əli Xamenei [[17 iyul]] [[1939]]-cu ildə ([[Hicri-şəmsi təqvimi|H.Ş.]] 24.04.1318; [[Hicri-qəməri təqvim|H.Q.]] 28.02.1358) [[İran]]ın [[Məşhəd]] şəhərində atası [[Höccətül-İslam vəl-müslimin]] Seyyid Cavad Xameneinin evində anadan olmuşdur.<ref name="leaderbio">{{cite web |url=http://leader.ir/az/content/14149/Bioqrafiya |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227141304/http://leader.ir/az/content/14149/Bioqrafiya |archivedate=2016-12-27 |title=Ayətullah Xameneinin tərcümeyi-halı |author= |date=2010-02-06 |publisher=leader.ir |accessdate=2016-12-27 |language={{az}}}}</ref> Mənbələr onun etnik Azərbaycanlı olmasıyla bağlı həmfikirdir.<ref>Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East – Facts on File, Incorporated, 2009, p.79</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worlddialogue.org/content.php?id=150 |title=Iran and the Caucasus: The Triumph of Pragmatism over Ideology – Centre for World Dialogue |publisher=Worlddialogue.org |accessdate=1 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=26910 |title=Azeris unhappy at being the butt of national jokes|publisher=UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|agency=IRIN |date=25 May 2006|accessdate=19 June 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814165654/www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=26910|archivedate=14 August 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FI28Ak01.html |title=Iran at sea over Azerbaijan |work=Asia Times Online|date=28 September 2004|accessdate=19 June 2009| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618084536/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FI28Ak01.html|archivedate=18 June 2009 |deadurl=no}} Indeed, Iran's leader Ali Khamenei is an ethnic Azeri and so is Rahim Safavi, the overall commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the most important military-security official in the country.</ref>