Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

Iran Sentences Daughter Of Former President To Prison

AP | BRIAN MURPHY | Posted 03.04.2012

Read More: Faezeh Hashemi, Iran, Faezeh Hashemi Sentenced, Rafsanjani, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran Faezeh Hashemi, Rafsanjani Iran President, World News

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran closed out naval war games in the Gulf on Tuesday much the way they began last month: striking a tone of mili...

Read Whole Story

Former President's Daughter On Trial

AP | Posted 02.23.2012

Read More: Faezeh Hashemi, Faezeh Hashemi Trial, Iran, Iran Faezah Hashemi, Rafsanjani, Rafsanjani Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News

TEHRAN, Iran — The daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been brought to trial on charges of making propaganda again...

Read Whole Story

Iran's Hardliners Target Top Private University

AP | ALI AKBAR DAREINI and NASSER KARIMI | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iran, Azad University, Azad Endowment, Ahmadinejad, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ali Khamenei, College News

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's leader issued a decree Monday paving the way for a state takeover of the country's largest private university, in a crushi...

Read Whole Story

Pushing the Iranian Opposition Underground

Melody Moezzi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Shirin Ebadi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran, Green Movement, Mehdi Karroubi, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran Opposition, Iran Election, Nowruz, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Nowruz Haft Sinn, Home News
Melody Moezzi

No holiday is dearer to the hearts of the Iranian people than Nowruz. But this year, many of my friends in Tehran will not be taking vacations. Instead, they're planning to take to the streets yet again, in bold defiance of the warnings of the regime and the pleas of their parents.

Read Post

Iran Seeks To Quiet Critical Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani

AP | BRIAN MURPHY | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iran Crisis, Iran, Hashemi Rafsanjani, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — When Iran holds state-run ceremonies this week for an important Islamic feast day, there will be one very noticeable c...

Read Whole Story

Ahmadinejad Kicks Diversion Efforts into High Gear

Melody Moezzi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Un Gaza, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Quds Day, Islam, Khamenei, Hypocrisy, UN General Assembly, Iran Election, World, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, World News, Un General Assembly 2009, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran Opposition, Ahmadinejad, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Election, Israel, Zionism, Un, Iran Protests, Mousavi, Iranian Election 2009, World News
Melody Moezzi

In the lead-up to his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is up to his old tricks. And sadly, the global community seems to be falling for them.

Read Post

Iranian Regime Faces Worst Enemy Yet: Itself

Melody Moezzi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Islam, World, Iran Opposition, Hypocrisy, Iran Election, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian Election, Ahmadinejad, World News, Mousavi, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Khamenei, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran Protests, Iranian Election 2009, Israel, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News
Melody Moezzi

Iranians could empathize with Palestinians Friday more than ever, but not in the way that Iran's self-proclaimed President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wanted them to.

Read Post

Quds Day: Powerful Iranian Cleric, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Barred From Delivering Prayers

latimes.com | Borzou Daragahi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Quds Day, Iran Opposition, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran Quds Day, Iran, Quds Day Ahmadinejad, Rafsanjani, Quds Day Rafsanjani, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News

Reporting from Beirut - A powerful cleric who supports Iran's opposition movement has been barred from delivering Friday prayers during Quds Day in Te...

Read Whole Story

The Unconstitutional Un-Islamic Republic of Iran

Melody Moezzi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Taraneh-Mousavi, Shiraz, Iran Twitter, Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Laleh, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Friday-Prayer, World News, Karroubi Rape, Shah, Iran, Green Movement, Shi?A, Mehdi Karroubi, Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran Protests, Revolution, Iranian Constitution, Iranian Election 2009, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Rafsanjani, Islam, Neda Agha-Soltan, Rape, Ayatollah, Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran-Opposition, Rape Iran, Shi?Ite, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Martyr, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Evin, Constitution, Show Trials, Iranian Election, Martyrs, Neda Agha Soltan, Neda, Torture, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News
Melody Moezzi

With increasing accounts of rape, torture, forced confessions and skewed judicial proceedings, the Iranian government is losing any credibility it had left, including any legitimate claim to Islam.

Read Post

Iran's Red Tulip Revolution

Melody Moezzi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Shiraz, Iran Twitter, Underground Railroad, Media, Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Friday-Prayer, World News, Shah, Iran, Shi?A, Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran Protests, Revolution, Iranian Election 2009, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Rafsanjani, Neda Agha-Soltan, Ayatollah, Ayatollah Khamenei, Facebook, Shi?Ite, Martyr, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Iranian Election, Martyrs, Neda Agha Soltan, Neda, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, Laleh, Taraneh-Mousavi, Tulip, Evin, Iran-Opposition, World News
Melody Moezzi

With each death at the hands of the regime, a martyr is born, and with each martyr, the seed of revolution is planted.

Read Post

The Basij Are Cordially Invited to Join the Opposition

Melody Moezzi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Rafsanjani, Ayatollah, Shiraz, Iran Twitter, Underground Railroad, Media, Ayatollah Khomeini, Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Facebook, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Friday-Prayer, World News, Shi?Ite, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Shah, Shi?A, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Election, Tehran, Neda Agha Soltan, Neda, Iran Protests, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iranian Election 2009, World News
Melody Moezzi

Thanks to their new duties, which include increasingly violent and inhumane acts, reports of Basiji taking protesters up on their invitations to join the opposition movement are growing.

Read Post

Iran, Protest, and Intelligence: Why Strategic Reports Often Get it Wrong

Jamsheed K. Choksy | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Isfahan-Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Iran Uprising, Iran Election, Iran Protests, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khatami, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran Intelligence, Intelligence, Iran Intelligence Estimates, Iran, Iran News, World News
Jamsheed K. Choksy

Revolutions are accurately designated as such only after the fact, not when protests begin. The protests in Iran are not yet and may never become a revolution.

Read Post

Hey DJ Rafsanjani, Play Us Some Ayatollah Khomeini

Melody Moezzi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Rafsanjani, Twitter, Ayatollah, Shiraz, Iran Twitter, Friday-Prayer, Underground Railroad, Media, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Khamenei, Facebook, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, World News, Shi?Ite, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Twittering, Shi?A, Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, Shah, Iranian Election, Tehran, Islamic Revolution, Neda, Iran Protests, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ayatollah Khomeini, Iranian Election 2009, World News
Melody Moezzi

At the heart of Iran's Islamic Revolution was a stencil duplicator and a tape recorder. These were the Ayatollah Khomeini's Facebook and Twitter.

Read Post

Separation of Mosque and Mosul

Jeff Schweitzer | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mir Hossein Mousavi, Iran, Obama, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khomeni, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Revolution, World News
Jeff Schweitzer

With the Supreme Leader's divine authority in question, the appeal to God as a source of legitimacy is no longer a viable basis on which to promote democracy.

Read Post

Iran: Is Larijani the New Rafsanjani?

John Ghazvinian | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran, Assembly of Experts, Iran Election, Majles, Ali Larijani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News
John Ghazvinian

Where should we be looking for an early indication of which way things might go in Iran's election crisis? Two words: Watch Larijani.

Read Post

An Exclusive Interview with a Pro-Ahmadinejad Cleric in Qom, Iran

Ali A. Rizvi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Islam, Twitter, Judaism, Iran Election, Shia, Iran, Supreme Leader, Media, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Facebook, Khatami, Barack Obama, Iran Nuclear Weapons, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Qom, Youtube, Tehran, Zionism, Neda, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ayatollah Khomeini, World News
Ali A. Rizvi

A recurring theme in many of the cleric's answers is his very strong belief that "foreign" Western powers, particularly England, are behind the current unrest in Tehran

Read Post

Iran and America: The Spirit of 1908

John Ghazvinian | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Constitutional Revolution, Iran, 1908, Iranian Revolution, Iran Election, Russia, Britain, Twitter, Shah of Iran, Evangelical Christians, Cossacks, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Federalist Papers, Barack Obama, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Morgan Shuster, Islamic Republic of Iran, Basij, Regime Change, Middle East, Iran Protests, Protest, Tehran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ayatollah Khomeini, Tea Party, World News
John Ghazvinian

Is 101 years a bit far to go back to help us understand what's happening today? Not in Iran.

Read Post

Faeze Rafsanjani's Arrest and Ayatollah Khamenei's Fears

Meir Javedanfar | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mir Hossein Mousavi, Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Faeze Rafsanjani, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran Election, Iran Protests, World News
Meir Javedanfar

As the demonstrations in Iran continue, sooner or later, the demonstrators are going to need the support of a leader. Otherwise, the demonstrations may disintegrate, due to factionalism and dispute over how to continue.

Read Post

Obama Must Speak Up Quickly or Iran Can Become His Rwanda

Sam Sedaei | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran, Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Voice of America, Iran Election, World News
Sam Sedaei

What ignited the protests may have been Ahmadinejad's hijacking of the election, but what has been fueling the protests and disobedience by millions of Iranians goes much deeper than this election.

Read Post

Supreme Leader to Demonstrators: "Drop Dead!"

Amb. Marc Ginsberg | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Krauthammer, Wolfowitz, President Obama, Obama Iran Policy, Iran, NeoCon Foreign Policy, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News
Amb. Marc Ginsberg

The titanic struggle of wills between the Supreme Leader and Mousavi is so riveting that it may very well seal the fate of any durable prospect of a rapprochement between Washington and Tehran.

Read Post

Weekly Foreign Affairs Round-Up

Christopher Herbert and Victoria Kataoka | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Russia, India, Yemen, Missile Defense, Pakistan, Al-Shabbab, Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Taliban, Al Qaeda, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Greece, Sudan, BRIC Summit, Somalia, Benjamin Netanyahu, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, China, North Korea, Foreign Affairs, Advocacy, World News
Christopher Herbert and Victoria Kataoka

The Week's Top Stories in Foreign Affairs : What to Make of Iran's Post-Election Uproar Facts: Incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quickly declared the...

Read Post

The One Thing 39 Million Iranians Decisively Voted For

Ali A. Rizvi | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Elections, Iran Revolutionary Guard, Iran Election, Democracy, Iran, Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khatami, Ayatollah Khomeini, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News
Ali A. Rizvi

Out of 46.2 million eligible voters, a staggering 39 million came out to vote, making a strong, unequivocal statement: Iranians value democracy

Read Post

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Orders End To All "Deviant News Sites"

AP | ALI AKBAR DAREINI and BRIAN MURPHY | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mousavi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mousavi Rally, Iran Blogs, Iran Rallies, Iranian Opposition, Iran Election, Iranian Election, Iran Protests, Iran Revolutionary Guard, Iran Twitter, Faezeh Hashemi, Tehran, Iran, Iran News, Iran Election 2009 Green, Iran Election Protests, Iran Election 2009 June 17, Rafsanjani, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, World News

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran directly accused the United States of meddling in the deepening crisis over a disputed presidential election and broadened i...

Read Whole Story

Revolution? No. Regime Change? Maybe

Olivia Sterns | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mousavi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Khamenei, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran Election 2009, Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran Elections, Khatami, Ayatollah Khomeini, Ahmadinejad, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohsen Rezaei, World News
Olivia Sterns

It's difficult to draw any conclusions from the rapidly unfolding election crisis in Tehran. Not even the regime has any idea what is going to happen, but perhaps that's the most important point.

Read Post

Is Katherine Harris in Tehran?

Amb. Marc Ginsberg | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Dennis Ross, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran, Middle East, Israel, Hillary Clinton, Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Barack Obama, World News
Amb. Marc Ginsberg

While Iranians yearn for an end to their isolation, what has driven hundreds of thousands to the polls and subsequently into the streets is the boiling resentment of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Read Post