Head of Iran’s Expediency Council, Ayatollah Sayyed Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi, has passed away at the age of 70 after a long illness.

The prominent religious and political figure succumbed to renal and intestinal malfunctions at Tehran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Hospital on Monday.

During his lifetime, Ayatollah Shahroudi served in many other crucial positions in the Islamic Republic.

He was born in 1948 in the Iraqi city of Najaf, which has hosted many Muslim scholars.

He fought against the dictatorial rule of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and was jailed and tortured by his forces.

Ayatollah Shahroudi traveled to Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution to serve as an intermediary between Imam Khomeini and Iraqi scholars and leaders.

He took the helm of the Expediency Council in 2017 to succeed late Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani.

The senior cleric also served as the head of Iran’s Judiciary for 10 years.

Source: Press TV