Nearly a week after Israel's surprise attack on Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that Iran will "NOT surrender," as Israel seeks to eliminate its nuclear program. "War will be met with war,

Iran’s supreme leader crushed internal threats during more than three decades in power. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei entrenched the system of rule by Shiite Muslim clerics.

NPR's Steve Inskeep profiles Iran's supreme leader, who is deciding on his next steps after a ceasefire with Israel.