Iran: Former president continues to lose power

Rafsanjani

Iran's former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani lost his position on Tuesday as the head of a clerical body responsible for choosing or dismissing Iran's supreme leader. Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani is to replace him as the head of the Assembly of Experts.

According to the AP, the Experts Assembly monitors the supreme leader and picks a successor after his demise.

Rafsanjani told the assembly that he wouldn't seek re-election to "avoid division" if Kani ran for the post, and Kani got 63 votes as the sole candidate for the post.

Rafsanjani, who had chaired the assembly since 2007, will remain a member of the 86-member assembly.

Rafsanjani has been losing power gradually over the years step by step. His son, Mohsen, stepped down a few days ago as the head of Tehran Metro system after 17 years in office, citing lack of support from the government.