n 2005, Rafsanjani attempted a political comeback by running for president again. He entered the race as a centrist candidate but faced a strong populist challenge from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rafsanjani won the first round but lost in the runoff amid claims of manipulation. Ahmadinejad’s victory marked a shift toward a more confrontational and hardline domestic and foreign policy.
Despite this defeat, Rafsanjani did not retreat from politics. He continued to head the Expediency Discernment Council—a powerful body that resolves disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council—and remained a member of the Assembly of Experts. From 1982 to 1985, he had served as the first deputy chairman of this clerical body and later as its chairman from 1987 to 1991.
2009 Election Crisis and Fallout
The 2009 presidential election was a pivotal moment in Rafsanjani’s later life. He and his family publicly supported Mir Hossein Mousavi, the reformist candidate challenging President Ahmadinejad. The announcement of Ahmadinejad’s reelection sparked massive protests across the country, known as the Green Movement, with demonstrators alleging electoral fraud.
In his last Friday prayer sermon in Tehran, Rafsanjani boldly criticized the crackdown on protesters and called for the release of detainees and the restoration of public trust. His speech was viewed as a veiled challenge to the Supreme Leader and the security apparatus. This act of defiance cost Rafsanjani dearly. He was sidelined from leading Friday prayers, lost influence within the Assembly of Experts, and his family, including his daughter Faezeh Hashemi and son Mehdi Hashemi, faced legal pressures and media attacks.