Hashemi Akbar Iran produced many famous political leaders, including Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani was born into a farming family and has been reasonable in his thinking since he was a child. Rafsanjani, unlike his contemporaries, thought that Iran should preserve good relations with the West, particularly the United States, and its neighbors. Rafsanjani aimed to make Iran a centre for foreign business activities during his presidency by enacting significant economic reforms. Despite his desire to make a big change in Iran, his views were not well received by all segments of the Iranian population. This resulted in his brief removal from power, but he quickly reclaimed it. Rafsanjani was also a key figure in Iran’s nuclear development. Later, he contradicted himself by claiming that hazardous combat weaponry are incompatible with Islamic values. He made several attempts to improve relations with the United States, even going so far as to suggest that Iran’s nuclear development would never pose a threat to the US. These efforts, however, had no effect on the relationship between the two countries. Following his presidency, Rafsanjani wrote a several books, the most well-known of which is a biography of Iranian political leader ‘Amir Kabir.’
Childhood and Adolescence
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was born in the town of Bahraman, near Rafsanjani, on August 25, 1934. His family was well-off and involved in farming.
Rafsanjani moved to Qom, a Shiite-dominated city in Iran, in 1948 to pursue his Islamic studies. During this time, he met Ayatollah Khomeini, an important figure in Iranian history and a religious leader. Khomeini had a big influence on Rafsanjani.
Career of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Rafsanjani’s first political win occurred in 1980 when he was elected as the parliament’s speaker. Rafsanjani held this prestigious position for approximately 9 years.
In Rafsanjani’s life, 1989 was a watershed moment. He ran in the presidential election and was elected as Iran’s fourth president. Rafsanjani was in charge of a large task, having succeeded the great leader Ali Khomeini after his death.
Rafsanjani’s administration was chastised despite his desire to improve Iran’s relations with the West and the state of the country’s economy. As a result of this, he was temporarily removed from power.
After winning the 1993 elections, Rafsanjani returned to power. This time, though, he did not win with a landslide victory as he did in 1989.
Even though his name was not on the list of 30 candidates provided by the ‘Iranian Ministry of the Interior,’ Rafsanjani was elected to parliament in 2000. This sparked strong suspicions that the selection process was rigged in order to accommodate Rafsanjani.
In 2005, Rafsanjani tried his luck once more for the presidency. Despite being one of the favorites, he was unable to secure a majority, resulting in his defeat. After the votes were declared, his arch political foe Ahmadinejad was elected President.
Rafsanjani was elected to Iran’s ‘Assembly of Experts’ in 2006 after receiving 1.5 million votes in a landslide victory. He was chosen Chairman of the same body the following year, giving him the power to elect or dismiss the country’s Supreme Leader.
Rafsanjani was re-elected in 2009 to a second term as chairman of the ‘Assembly of Experts’ committee. He was replaced by Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani two years later.
Rafsanjani is accused of plotting to depose opponent Ahmadinejad from office in 2009. The former allegedly convened a meeting with the other members of the ‘Assembly of Experts,’ the conclusion of which is still unknown. This meeting was allegedly staged by Rafsanjani in order to remove Ahmadinejad from power.
Rafsanjani was forced to resign from the ‘Assembly of Experts’ in 2011. He is said to have dropped out of the re-election race at the last minute. He tried again two years later to run for president, but this time he was unsuccessful.
Major Projects of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Rafsanjani’s development of different domestic programs was one of his greatest accomplishments to Iran during his presidency. These measures opened the door to free trade and increased cooperation with Western nations. Rafsanjani also emphasized the importance of universities working with businesses to improve job prospects.
Rafsanjani was always keen in maintaining good relations with foreign countries. He also contributed to the recovery of a war-torn Iraq by providing tons of medication and food to the refugees. He did not, however, impress countries such as the United States.
Personal History and Legacy
Rafsanjani married Effat Marashi in the year 1962. The couple has five children: Mohsin, Mehdi, and Yasser, three males, and Fatemeh and Faezeh, two daughters.
Fatemeh, his daughter, followed in her father’s footsteps and went into politics. She went on to become a member of the Iranian parliament, known as the ‘Majlis.’
Several times, Rafsanjani was accused of being related to terrorists and extremist groups. He is reported to have had a key role in the 1994 bombing event in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
‘Amir Kabir: the Hero of Fighting Imperialism,’ ‘Memories,’ ‘Tafsir Rahnama,’ and ‘Explicit Letters’ are only a few of the novels written by Rafsanjani.
Rafsanjani died after a heart attack on January 8, 2017, in Tehran, at the age of 82.
Rafsanjani was believed to be one of Iran’s wealthiest individuals. He was claimed to hold a number of properties in and around his hometown of ‘Rafsanjani.’
Estimated Net Worth
Forbes assessed his personal worth to be more than $1 billion in 2003. He was also the founder of Azad University and a member of its Board of Trustees.