Conflicting reports emerged over the health of chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council (EDC), Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi. Some news agencies affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced his death, citing informed sources, while official news agencies refuted the reports, describing them as "rumors", stressing that Shahroudi was in critical condition. Shahroudi, 70, was the main candidate to replace current Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, before medical reports confirmed he had a digestive disease. Khamenei, chose Shahroudi as chairman of the Council eight months after the death of former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in August 2017. In addition to his position in the Expediency Council, Shahroudi is a prominent figure of the Guardian Council, members are directly appointed by Khamenei. On August 14, 2009, Shahroudi left the post of chief justice after 10 years of service, and was succeeded by Sadiq Larijani, one of the most senior officials of the second generation in the Iranian regime. In the early 1980s, he played a key role in the establishment of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and its military wing, the Badr Corps. Shahroudi received a treatment at a hospital in Hanover, Germany, but returned to the country. Human rights organizations have called on the German authorities to detain him for his role in human rights violations. On Monday, Fars, Mehr and Tasnim news agencies reported that Shahroudi has died. However, state-owned IRNA news agency described reports of his death as “rumors.” ISNA also did not confirm and published an article entitled "Hashemi Shahroudi has the hallmarks of life" in response to reports about his death. The Expediency Council held its last meeting on Sunday under the chairmanship of Ahmed Jannati, 92, who heads the Assembly of Experts and the Guardian Council, which fueled news of Shahroudi’s death. Jannati’s temporary presidency of the committee was interpreted as an attempt by Khamenei to choose new names, which could lead to further speculation about his successor. The Expediency Council, which has been associated with Hashemi Rafsanjani for two decades, is the highest political council that brings together senior political officials and military leaders. Its most important task is to define the countrys public policies, resolve disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council, and provide advice to the Supreme Leader. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Khamenei intends to appoint the current head of judiciary, Sadiq Larijani, as chairman of the EDC, after Iranian Prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri implicitly confirmed the appointment of Ibrahim Raesi, chairman of Astan Quds Razavi. If the reports are confirmed, Raesi’s appointment will revive his chances of succeeding the Supreme Leader, after he was defeated in the presidential election 2017 by current President Hassan Rouhani, the first major elections in which he participated in response to calls from conservative circles. On the other hand, Larijanis likely appointment will renew disagreements between him and former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose re-election to the Expediency Council was a surprise to his opponents, especially after being excluded from the 2017 elections. Ahmadinejad had good relations with Shahroudi, and in November last year, he asked Khamenei for the formation of a committee headed by Shahroudi to resolve differences between him and the Larijani brothers. Sadiq Larijani, along with his brother Speaker Ali Larijani, did not attend several meetings of the Expediency Council following differences with Ahmadinejad.