Iran’s ex-President Rafsanjani dies at 82
Tehran, January 8
Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a wily political survivor and multimillionaire mogul who remained among the ruling elite despite moderate views, died today, state TV reported. He was 82.
Iranian media reported earlier today that he was taken to a hospital north of Tehran because of a heart condition. State television broke into programming to announce his death.
Rafsanjani's mix of sly wit and reputation for cunning moves both in politics and business earned him a host of nicknames such as Akbar Shah, or Great King, during a life that touched every major event in Iranian affairs since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
His presence whether directly or through back channels was felt in many forms. He was a steady leader in Iran’s turbulent years after overthrowing the US-backed shah, a veteran warrior in the country's internal political battles and a covert go-between in intrigue such as the Iran-Contra arms deals in the 1980s. He also was handed an unexpected political resurgence in his later years. The surprise presidential election in 2013 of Rafsanjani’s political soul mate, Hassan Rouhani, gave the ex-President an insider role in reform-minded efforts that included Rouhani’s push for direct nuclear talks with the US.
Rouhani's victory was also another example of Rafsanjani’s remarkable political luck. Rafsanjani was blocked from the ballot by poll overseers presumably worried about boosting his influence. But, in the end, many liberals turned to Rouhani as an indirect vote for Rafsanjani. It came after years of dwindling influence. Another presidential comeback bid was snuffed out by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in 2005 polls, which left Rafsanjani and his clan as critics of Ahmadinejad. — AP
