Head of Iran’s Expediency Council, Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi, has passed away at the age of 70 after months of suffering acute ill health.

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.

In Iraq, Ayatollah Shahroudi attended classes held by the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini.

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 Expediency Council is mainly responsible for arbitrating between the Iranian Parliament and the Guardian Council, which itself supervises the Parliament.

Ayatollah Shahroudi also served as the head of Iran’s Judiciary for 10 years. His attempts for speeding up due processes and establishing close contact with the ordinary people were among the achievements the late cleric was credited for.

Ayatollah Shahroudi also was a member and vice president of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, which elects and oversees the performance of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

He had been a member of the Guardian Council for years as well.

Ayatollah Shahroudi published numerous books and articles in various fields, including Islamic Jurisprudence and law. As a religious scholar and teacher, he was well-known for his precise reasoning and robust approaches.