Mr.Bani Sadr says he thinks the Iranian regime is "sharply divided" and its fate depends on whether opposition reformists, including Mr.Moussavi,Ayatollah Karroubi and former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani decide to oppose Ayatollah Khamenei.
VOA: standard.2009.06.14
Ironically, the man most adept at manipulating this hidden power structure is one of Iran's best-known characters--Ali AkbarHashemiRafsanjani, who has been named an ayatollah, or religious leader.
In one particularly troubling series of statements, AliAkbarHashemiRafsanjani, the president of Iran from 1989 to 1997 and a senior ayatollah, let loose some rather unfortunate commentary regarding Israel.