Accessibility links

Breaking News

Rafsanjani Elected Head Of Top Iranian Clerical Body


Rafsanjani was elected chairman after the death of the previous incumbent (AFP) September 4, 2007 -- Iran's former president, Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, has been elected chairman of a powerful clerical body which has the power to appoint, supervise, and even dismiss Iran's supreme leader.


Hashemi-Rafsanjani was elected by fellow members to chair the Assembly of Experts, a body of 86 senior clerics that supervises the work of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.


Hashemi-Rafsanjani's main rival for the post had been Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, the head of the conservative Guardian Council.


The post had been vacant since the death in July of Ayatollah Ali Meshkini.


The pro-reformist Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who was president for most of the 1990s, was beaten in the 2005 presidential election by Mahmud Ahmadinejad.


(AFP, AP)

RFE/RL Iran Report

RFE/RL Iran Report


SUBSCRIBE For regular news and analysis on Iran by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Iran Report."

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG