Yesterday,  , president of Iran from 1989 to 1997, died in hospital in Tehran after a heart attack, Iran's state television reported. He was 82 years old. Rafsanjani in 2015. Born in 1934, Rafsanjani studied in . He was one of the leaders of the in Iran which overthrew the to make Iran a religious republic. He was the first to hold, for nine years, the speakership of the post-revolution Iranian parliament. Rafsanjani was also appointed top representative of supreme leader on the supreme defense council, effectively Iran's military commander-in-chief in 1988 for the end of the . The year after the end of Iran-Iraq war, Rafsanjani became president and led the country in post-war reformation and improving relations with other . Rafsanjani was elected for a second term and served as president till 1997. In 2005, Rafsanjani participated in the presidential election, but lost to  . Rafsanjani joined with the reformers in 2009 when hardliner Ahmadinejad was re-elected as the president. The Guardian Council blocked his candidature for the presidency in 2013, citing his age. Rafsanjani later supported moderate  , who won the 2013 election. Rouhani is to re-run in May of this year.
Yesterday, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani , president of Iran from 1989 to 1997, died in hospital in Tehran after a heart attack, Iran's state television reported. He was 82 years old. Rafsanjani in 2015. Born in 1934, Rafsanjani studied in . He was one of the leaders of the in Iran which overthrew the to make Iran a religious republic. He was the first to hold, for nine years, the speakership of the post-revolution Iranian parliament. Rafsanjani was also appointed top representative of supreme leader on the supreme defense council, effectively Iran's military commander-in-chief in 1988 for the end of the . The year after the end of Iran-Iraq war, Rafsanjani became president and led the country in post-war reformation and improving relations with other . Rafsanjani was elected for a second term and served as president till 1997. In 2005, Rafsanjani participated in the presidential election, but lost to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . Rafsanjani joined with the reformers in 2009 when hardliner Ahmadinejad was re-elected as the president. The Guardian Council blocked his candidature for the presidency in 2013, citing his age. Rafsanjani later supported moderate Hassan Rouhani , who won the 2013 election. Rouhani is to re-run in May of this year.
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Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
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Hassan Rouhani