MOSCOW, August 26 (RIA Novosti) - The leader of one of Iraq's most powerful Shiite political groups died of lung cancer in Tehran on Wednesday, party officials said.
Abdul Aziz al-Hakim had been fighting cancer for more than two years and was undergoing treatment in Iran's capital. His body will be flown to Najir, Iraq for burial.
Al-Hakim spent years in exile in Iran until he returned to Iraq in 2003 to head the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI).
Much of the ISCI's support comes from the influence of the al-Hakim name, which is revered among Shiite Muslims for its lineage of scholars and sacrifices during the rule of Saddam Hussein, the late, former president of Iraq.
Al-Hakim had worked closely with both the United States and Iran to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure.
