News Agencies Close to the IRGC Removed Report of Khamenei's Meeting with Hashemi Rafsanjani's Family

Fars and Tasnim news agencies, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported on Monday evening the presence of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, at the home of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, but hours later removed the news. The Supreme Leader is scheduled to lead prayers at Rafsanjani's funeral on Tuesday, January 21, at Tehran University, and the body of the Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council will be buried at the tomb of Ruhollah Khomeini. Fars news agency stated in a one-line news that 'an informed source' denied this news. The 'Tabnak' website, close to Mohsen Rezaei, which had published this news, also removed it from its output hours later. Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani was one of the close individuals to the Supreme Leader for three decades, but in June 2009, just a few days before the presidential elections, he sent an open letter to the Supreme Leader protesting the accusations made by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against him and his family, asking Ayatollah Khamenei to ensure the integrity of the elections. The Supreme Leader never officially responded to this letter, but some of his close associates considered this letter, which 'began without a greeting,' as one of the grounds for the protests against the 2009 presidential elections and labeled Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani as the 'head of the sedition.' Ayatollah Khamenei also stated in his Friday prayer sermon on June 29, 2009, that his opinion was 'closer' to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mehdi Hashemi, the son of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been serving a 10-year prison sentence in Evin Prison since August 18 of this year, although he has now been granted leave to attend his father's ceremony. Another child, Faezah Hashemi, was imprisoned for six months after the 2009 elections. Media outlets close to the IRGC and state television have published numerous reports against Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani in recent years. Meanwhile, a video has been released on websites showing Mehdi Hashemi not allowing Ali Asgari, the head of the state television organization, to lift his father's coffin. Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, also stated on a television program on Monday evening: 'We are grave worshippers. When I went to the lifeless body of Mr. Hashemi and looked at his face, I couldn't hold myself back because all the unkindness, insults, accusations, and misconceptions against him flashed through my mind.' He emphasized: 'If now all television networks praise Hashemi, it is of no use; we must appreciate each other and not accuse one another. If we appreciate each other and do not utilize potentials, the situation in the country will not improve.' Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, implicitly accused the sons of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri of economic corruption during the 2009 presidential election debates. After these remarks, state television did not provide an opportunity for Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri to respond to these accusations. Mr. Ahmadinejad, in a brief message on the occasion of Mr. Hashemi's death, wrote that he was 'one of the fighters at the forefront of the movement' of Ayatollah Khomeini, 'a long-time ally' of the Supreme Leader, and one of the most influential political figures of recent decades who 'played a broad role in various and sensitive scenes of the revolution and in different positions.' After the death of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani, Hassan Rouhani, the president, and members of the eleventh government, Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, the head of the Supreme Leader's office, and many political figures were present at the Jamaran Hosseiniyeh alongside Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani's coffin. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, was also present at the Jamaran Hosseiniyeh on Monday. Several Shia clerics, including Lotfollah Safi Golpayegani, Naser Makarem Shirazi, Hossein Nouri Hamedani, and Abdollah Javadi Amoli, also issued messages of condolence for the death of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the most prominent political figures in Iran over the past few decades, passed away on Sunday, January 19, at the age of 82 due to cardiac arrest. He played a significant role in establishing the Islamic Republic, the Iran-Iraq War, and served as the president, speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Assembly of Experts, and the Expediency Discernment Council. His government is referred to as the 'Construction Government' due to the volume of infrastructure projects; however, it is also said that he initiated extensive activities of the IRGC in the Iranian economy. Although he later stated in an interview that 'our agreement with the IRGC was for construction, not ownership.' Hashemi Rafsanjani's political positions have always been controversial, and several political activists or writers have criticized him as someone who was suppressed or targeted by security and intelligence forces during his presidency. On the other hand, the name of the Minister of Intelligence during Hashemi Rafsanjani's presidency, Ali Fallahian, has been mentioned in connection with serial killings and other deadly attacks against opponents.