Ayatollah Rafsanjani dies at 82
Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a top Iranian cleric, a very wealthy man, and a former Iranian President, died on Sunday of cardiac arrest. One of the architects of the Iranian revolution, popular with the people, and a favorite among liberal reformers, he was mourned by thousands who turned out in the streets for his funeral on Tuesday. He was 82.
A voice of moderation and reform in an increasingly radicalized Iran, Rafsanjani favored improved relations with the West, and the United States. His moderating influence will be missed, by both beleaguered liberal reformers in Iran, and Western diplomats and leaders hopeful of improved relations. With his death there are fewer in modern day Iran to oppose the hard-liners, and none so powerful and accomplished.
Learn more about Ayatollah Rafsanjani’s death (New York Times)
Photo: By Mesgary – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
