More pragmatic politicians, such as Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, would prefer to re-open negotiations with the West to avoid open confrontation.

更多务实的政客，比如阿亚图拉•阿克巴尔•哈什米•拉夫桑贾尼(Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani)更主张与西方各国重开和谈大门，避免公开冲突。

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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 Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who has been named an ayatollah, or religious leader.

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In one particularly troubling series of statements, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the president of Iran from 1989 to 1997 and a senior ayatollah, let loose some rather unfortunate commentary regarding Israel.

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