Former Iranian President Ayatollah Rafsanjani dies of heart attack at 82

Iranian state-run media is reporting the death of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who died Sunday January 8, 2017 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 82. Rafsanjani, who served two terms as Iran’s president from 1989 to 1997, continued to be an influential figure in Iranian politics.

At the time of his death he was the chairman of the Expediency Council, which aims to settle disputes between the country’s parliament and the Guardian Council. Rafsanjani was seen as a key figure in Iran’s moderate movement and was a vocal supporter of current Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.