The Abbasid–Saffarid partnership in Iran was most clearly expressed against the intrepid general Rafi ibn Harthama, who had made his base in Ray and posed a threat to both caliphal and Saffarid interests in the region. Al-Mu'tadid sent the Dulafid Ahmad ibn Abd al-Aziz to seize Ray from Rafi, who fled and made common cause with the Zaydis of Tabaristan in an effort to conquer Khurasan from the Saffarids.
The Abbasid-Saffarid partnership in Iran was most prominently challenged by the brave general Rafi ibn Harthama, who had established his base in Ray and threatened both the caliphal and Saffarid domains. Al-Mu'tadid sent Dulafid Ahmad ibn Abd al-Aziz to capture Ray from Rafi, who then joined forces with the Zaydis of Tabaristan to attempt a conquest of Khurasan from the Saffarids.