Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to Ruhollah Khomeini. This led to the establishment of Expediency Discernment Council, which later he chaired the council. He had an active role in Iran–Contra affair, which was divulged by Mehdi Hashemi and failed. Mehdi Hashemi was executed but Rafsanjani was the loser at internal dimension. In October 1981 presidential election, when he voted to Ali Khamenei, he said it's vote of "Imam (Khomeini), clerics and the parliament". During differences between Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Khamenei, Hashemi cleverly managed to keep the position favor or against these two perspectives and take the middle position. According to Bahman Bakhtiari, at
Timeline of the 2009 Iranian election protests Mir Hossein Mousavi are reportedly seen earlier at the Mosque. However, another witness said that Alireza Beheshti, son of Mohammad Beheshti told the crowd that Mousavi was prevented from coming. Faezeh Hashemi was seen with people that ringed around the banner outside of the Mosque door. The slogans were: "Salam bar Beheshti, Dorood bar Mousavi." Mostafa Malekian stood in the Ghoba alley with the crowd and sported victory signs. Reza Attaran also joined the crowd, wearing a green T-shirt. Also attending the gathering was Hojjat al-Islam Hadi Ghaffari. Because the Shariati Street entrance of Ghoba Alley and the other end