Raf ‧ san ‧ ja ‧ ni, Ho ‧ ja ‧ tol ‧ es ‧ lam Al ‧ i Ak ‧ bar Hash ‧ e ‧ mi /ˌræfsænˈdʒɑːni, ˈhəʊdʒætɒlɪˌslɑːm ˈæli ˈækbɑːʳ ˈhæʃemi $ -dʒətɑːl-/ BrE AmE
(1934–) an Iranian religious teacher and politician who became state president after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 and ruled until 1997