The Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute, headed by Mesbah Yazdi, said he was hospitalized for the last few days with a disease of his digestive system.
The 1979 chief Maulvi played a major role in the overthrow of Iran’s western-backed Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV.
Mesbah Yazdi was generally seen as staunch and hostile, including holding anti-American positions. An outspoken critic of a liberal press, she was sharply reacted to domestic opposition, feminism and gender unity.
According to regional experts, he was the spiritual mentor of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who served from 2005 to 2013.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mourned the death of Mesbah Yazdi, according to Press TV, stating that Mesbah Yazdi was 85 years old.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency said Mesbah Yazdi was close to the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mesbah Yazdi was a member of the House of Experts – the body responsible for the election and monitoring of the performance of Iran’s supreme leader – and the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, Press TV reported.
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