Iran’s former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has lost his position as head of a powerful clerical body, reports say, quoted by BBC. Mr Rafsanjani had chaired the Assembly of Experts, which selects the supreme leader and supervises his activities, for the past four years. But he was criticised by hardliners for being close to the opposition. Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani was selected to replace him, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported. Mr Rafsanjani said that for the sake of keeping the country united, he would not stand against Mr Kani.
