Tehran’s agenda of controlling the succession of the most senior Shiite cleric in Najaf
On 3 September, Iraq witnessed the passing of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim who died aged 85 in Iraq’s Shiite holy city of Najaf. Hakim was one of the top four Shiite clerics who were part of the Shiite religious authority in Najaf which is commonly known as the marja’iyya.
