CNN:

(CNN)The news of the sudden passing of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has utterly shocked Iranians of all walks of life.

The prominent statesman had been involved in public life going back to his youth during the Shah's dictatorial regime, when he was a leading activist and endured years of prison, torture, and exile.
After the success of the Iranian revolution in 1979 and the return of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to the country, Rafsanjani emerged as the closest aide and confidant to the revolutionary father and would play an instrumental role in managing the country under his leadership.

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