TEHRAN: Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a multimillionaire mogul and canny politician who remained among the ruling elite despite moderate views, died Sunday, state TV reported. He was 82.
Iranian media reported earlier Sunday that "he was takeFormer Iranian President Rafsanjani diesn to a hospital north of Tehran because of a heart condition. State television broke into programming to announce his death."
Rafsanjani's mix of sly wit and reputation for cunning moves - both in politics and business - earned him a host of nicknames such as Akbar Shah, or Great King, during a life that touched every major event in Iranian affairs since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
He was a steady leader in Iran's unstable years after overthrowing the U.S.-backed shah, a veteran warrior in the country's internal political battles and a covert go-between in intrigue such as the Iran-Contra arms deals in the 1980s.
Iranian media reported earlier Sunday that "Rafsanjani was taken to a hospital north of Tehran because of a heart condition. State television broke into programming to announce his death."
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