Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, the chairman of the Assembly of Experts, maintained his middle-of-the-road stance on February 23 by defending Supreme Leader Ali’s Khamenei’s leadership and saying the Leader acted in ways so “the [political] scene does not get too hot.” According to ILNA, Iran’s Labor News Agency, Rafsanjani asserted at the Assembly of Experts second annual meeting: “The Leader is very careful now so there will not be a rebellion and irrelevant things are not uttered.” He was referring to some harsh comments made in recent months by radical supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

According to ISNA, Iran’s Students News Agency, Rafsanjani emphasized the signs of unity in the county but asserted, “Those who have been hurt in recent months must be comforted,” referring to victims of widespread government crackdown in the aftermath of the disputed June 12 election. Since the June 12 election, Rafsanjani has given mixed signals regarding where his political loyalties fall – either with the opposition or the state. The uncertainty of the outcome of the political crisis has caused him to carefully appear to be voicing the concerns of the opposition at times, while also pledging his devotion to Khamenei.