Sayyid Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi is an Iranian cleric and conservative politician who is currently Chairman of Expediency Discernment Council since 14 August 2017. Sayyid Shahroudi is considered among the wealthiest of Shi'i scholars in Iran, having amassed a substantial multi-million dollar revenue generating income from an export-import business. In 2010, he declared himself a Marja'.He is also an Iraqi citizen and a former member of the Islamic Dawa Party. Shahroudi's official English-language biographical information from the Iranian Assembly of Experts' website opens with his education received in Najaf, Iraq from Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, the Islamic Dawa Party Founder, and takes the view that al-Sadr was killed ;al-Sadr was executed without trial by Saddam Hussein’s regime in April 1980. Hashemi Shahroudi became the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which has caused objections to his serving as the Head of Iran's Judiciary from 1999 until 2009. He is currently a member of Iran's Guardian Council.
Upon accepting his position as the Head of Iran’s Judiciary, Shahroudi proclaimed: "I have inherited an utter ruin from the previous judiciary," referring to Mohammad Yazdi's 10 years in office. He appointed Saeed Mortazavi, a well known fundamentalist and controversial figure, prosecutor general of Iran. Later when Mortazavi led the judiciary against Khatami's reform movement, Shahroudi was prevented by regime hardliners from stopping Mortazavi's violent acts against dissidents or removing him from power. In July 2011 Shahroudi was appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to head an arbitration body to resolve an ongoing dispute between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the parliament. He is favorite as one of the successors of Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader of Iran.
Regarding the U.S. presence in Iraq Iran calls for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq ahead of security conference http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/10/content_5825252.htm (March 10, 2007)
