Rafsanjani New Commander of Iran’s Military
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NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on Thursday appointed Parliament Speaker Hashemi Rafsanjani acting commander in chief of Iran’s armed forces after major military defeats on land and sea.
The appointment increased the political power of the man Iranians call “the shark,” even though he has had no formal military training. Iran’s official media, monitored in Nicosia, reported that Khomeini, who has held the title of commander in chief, gave Rafsanjani “full authority” to take over control of military affairs.
Rafsanjani’s appointment followed a disastrous confrontation with the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf and two defeats on the battlefield in which the Iraqis drove the Iranians out of their two main footholds inside Iraq.
Rafsanjani, 53, is Khomeini’s representative on the Supreme Defense Council and has long been considered the most powerful figure in Iran after Khomeini.
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