Rafsanjani warns Iran's Supreme Leader

Hassan Khomeini (left) and Hashemi Rafsanjani (right) at Ayatollah Khomeini's tomb

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Chairman of Iran’s Assembly of Experts spoke at the tomb of the late Ayatollah Khamenei condemning the actions of “uninformed individuals” who charge the Supreme Leader with the responsibility and consequences of their mistaken actions.

Speaking for the members of the Assembly visiting the tomb of the Islamic Republic founder, Ayatollah Rafsanjani maintained that “these individuals shirk from their responsibilities and make irrelevant declarations, thus causing the leadership to bear the responsibility of all the actions that the people reject.”

Ayatollah Rafsanjani, perhaps the most powerful cleric in Iran save for the Supreme Leader himself, came out as an open supporter of the anti-Ahmadinejad camp in the post-election turmoil calling for renewed elections and release of all political prisoners. However, in recent months, his messages have become more cryptic and in the same vein the Supreme Leader has even scolded him for his silence.

On Tuesday he declared that the Supreme Leader has not allowed anyone “bear too much pressure” in the post-election events. While over five thousand people have been arrested in the post-election events, despite the persistence of hardliners in demanding the arrest of prominent opposition leaders, MirHosein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammad Khatami, the authorities have held back on arresting them.

ILNA reports that Ayatollah Rafsanjani said: “Newcomers are mistaken if they think they can construct a building over a structure which they have spoiled.” The Chairman of the Assembly of Experts likened these people to “those who enjoy the fruits and shade of a fruitful tree but are gradually hacking away at its roots.”

Ayatollah Rafsanjani pronounced the country’s political and economic shortcomings to be at the heart of the current turmoil.