There was no hint of reconciliation, or any mediation “message” for Iran’s supreme leader in the sermon delivered by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani last Friday. For a mild-mannered political player, Rafsanjani looked angry and confrontational. As the second most powerful man in the political structure of the Islamic Republic, he challenged the supremacy of the supreme leader.
More than that, by associating himself with founder of the revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, he undermined the position of Khamenei. So much so that commentators in pro-government press in Iran have complained. Mojtaba Shakeri, of the ultra-conservative Devotees of Islamic Revolution, said Rafsanjani “should at least have made some respectful reference to the supreme leader. I did not hear one word about him.”
