Watching Rafsanjani

According to a tweet, Iran state news is portraying Rafsanjani as the main cause of the turmoil. NIAC parses:

I’ve been watching intently for any signs that Rafsanjani will tip his hand.  As of this point, he’s been working largely behind the scenes.  He reportedly called an emergency meeting of the Assembly of Experts yesterday, which (we can only speculate) might have been intended to raise questions about Khamenei’s fitness to remain as Supreme Leader.  (The Assembly of Experts is in charge of naming Khamenei’s successor, and has some oversight responsibility for the Supreme Leader).

Though we’ve heard conflicting reports about him resigning from his very powerful government posts, he has yet to reveal his positions publicly.  In my opinion, if Rafsanjani comes out of the woodwork and joins the demonstrations, the entire situation will be changed drastically. If this news is correct, the hardliners understand the threat, and are trying to neutralize it.

(Photo: Iran's influential former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani delivers the weekly Friday prayer sermon at Tehran University on March 27, 2009. By Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty.)