Born and bred in Iraq, Shahroudi came to Iran for the first time after the 1979 revolution. Iran Focus
Born and bred in Iraq, Shahroudi came to Iran for the first time after the 1979 revolution. As an Iraqi citizen, he was singled out by Khomeini in 1982 to head the newly-created Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. At the time, he called himself Mahmoud Hashemi, not using Shahroudi, the name of a town in eastern Iran that would reveal his Iranian roots.
After Khomeinis death, Mahmoud Hashemi continued his ascent on the Iranian political scene and was named as the chief of judiciary by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Shahroudi, who has extensive ties with Iraqi Shiites working for Tehran, has played a key role in the Iranian regimes Iraqi policy. He is an ardent advocate of setting up an Islamic theocracy in Iraq.
Shahroudi was quoted by the Iranian media as telling his aides on Tuesday, The Americans must leave Najaf immediately, put an end to its siege and leave the citys administration to its people.
He said the Iraqi peoples strong resistance against the American aggression, especially in Najaf, shows the emergence of a new intifada in the Islamic world against occupiers and those who violate the rights of Muslims and the territorial integrity of Muslim nations.