Accessibility links

Breaking News

Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, Leader Of Iran's Hard-Liners, Dies At 86


 Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi
Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi

Iranian cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, considered the spiritual leader of the most fundamentalist hard-line factions, has died in Tehran at the age of 86.

A veteran revolutionary close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mesbah-Yazdi died of a gastrointestinal disease after several recent stints in the hospital, Iranian state media reported on January 1.

A fierce opponent of reforms, Mesbah-Yazdi was also known as a supporter of ultraconservative former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad before having a falling out with him.

To his opponents, the fundamentalist spiritual head of the Paydari Front political faction was one of the most disliked and radical figures.

At the time of his death, Mesbah-Yazdi was the head of the of Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute and a member of the Assembly of Experts, a clerical body that chooses the supreme leader.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and RFE/RL's Radio Farda
  • 16x9 Image

    RFE/RL

    RFE/RL journalists report the news in 27 languages in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG