He supported Teheran's nuke agreement with world powers

Iran began three days of mourning on Monday after the death of ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a pillar of the Islamic Revolution who became a leading counterweight to hardliners.

Tributes poured in for the moderate cleric, including from President Hassan Rouhani, who was reportedly at Rafsanjani's bedside before he died of a heart attack aged 82.

"Islam lost a valuable treasure, Iran an outstanding general, the Islamic Revolution a courageous flag-bearer and the Islamic system a rare sage," Rouhani said.

Iran's political and religious leadership attended a memorial service at Hussainiya Jamaran, a religious hall in northern Teheran run by the family of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic.

Rafsanjani was scheduled to be buried on Tuesday.

The ISNA news agency said his death on Sunday was a "great loss for the moderates," describing the ayatollah as "the sheikh of moderation".

Rafsanjani was a key backer of Rouhani and supported Iran's landmark nuclear deal with world powers.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Rafsanjani an "old friend and comrade" and said his loss is "difficult and life-decreasing".

Rafsanjani served as president from 1989 to 1997, during a period of significant changes in Iran. At the time, the country was struggling to rebuild its economy after a devastating 1980s war with Iraq.

He also oversaw key developments in Iran's nuclear program by negotiating deals with Russia to build an energy-producing reactor in Bushehr, which finally went into service in 2011. Behind the scenes, he directed the secret purchase of technology and equipment.

Nuclear weapons

In an interview published in October, Rafsanjani acknowledged the 1980-88 war with Iraq, which killed some 1 million people, led Iran to consider seeking nuclear weapons.

"Our basic doctrine was always for a peaceful nuclear application, but it never left our mind that if one day we should be threatened and it was imperative, we should be able to go down the other path," he said. "But we never went."

The cleric managed to remain within Iran's ruling theocracy after leaving office, but an attempt to return to the presidency in 2005 was dashed by the electoral victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Some analysts believe Rafsanjani was kept within the ruling fold as a potential mediator with the United States and its allies in the standoff over Iran's nuclear program. His past stature as a trusted Khomeini ally also offered him political protection. Rafsanjani was a top commander in the war with Iraq and played a key role in convincing Khomeini to accept a cease-fire after years of crippling stalemate.

(China Daily 01/10/2017 page12)