Iran has had two Supreme Leaders who held (or hold) the religious‑political rank commonly called “Ayatollah” at the top of the state.

Quick Scoop

If by “how many ayatollahs has Iran had” you mean “how many Ayatollahs have actually ruled the Islamic Republic as its top leader,” then:

  1. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini – Founder of the Islamic Republic and first Supreme Leader, in power from 1979 until his death in 1989.
  1. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – Succeeded Khomeini in 1989 and remained Supreme Leader until his assassination in 2026.

So, in terms of state leaders with the rank of Ayatollah, Iran has had two.

Important nuance

  • The title “Ayatollah” is not limited to the Supreme Leader; it is a clerical rank held by thousands of senior Shia scholars in and beyond Iran, especially after the 1979 revolution.
  • Because the number of clerics promoted to this rank is large and fluid, there is no fixed, official total for “how many Ayatollahs Iran has had” as individuals; lists you see online are explicitly partial and not comprehensive.

Simple takeaway

  • If you mean top rulers of the Islamic Republic: two Ayatollahs (Khomeini and Khamenei).
  • If you mean every cleric ever holding the title “Ayatollah” in Iran: the number is in the thousands and not precisely countable with public data.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.