Hossein Noori Hamedani

Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani is a senior Iranian Twelver Shi'a marja based in Qom, known for his ultra-conservative views and strong alignment with the Islamic Republic's establishment.

Born on 21 March 1925 in Hamadan, he moved to Qom at the age of 17 to pursue seminary studies. He currently resides and teaches at the Qom Seminary, where he is one of the most senior living clerics.

Noori Hamedani is known for strongly backing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on several occasions, notably during the 2009 protests against the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He was the only grand ayatollah to congratulate Ahmadinejad when Ahmadinejad was first declared victor in the disputed 12 June 2009 election. He has publicly called for the purge of 'anti-Islamic and atheist professors' from Iranian universities.

He is the father-in-law of Hossein Mousavi Tabrizi, who married into his family around 1968, strengthening ties between the bazaar and the senior clergy during the pre-revolutionary period.