Rafsanjani, who was 82, served as Iran’s president twice and was a pivotal figure in the revolution that led to an Islamic republic in 1979.

Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has died in hospital on Sunday after suffering a heart attack, Iran’s ISNA and Fars news agencies reported.

Rafsanjani, who was 82, served as Iran’s president twice and was a pivotal figure in the revolution that led to an Islamic republic in 1979.

In his political career, he also headed the Expediency Council, a body which is intended to resolve disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council, garnering him the unofficial title of “Iran’s broker”.

He was also a member of the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body that selects the supreme leader.

Rafsanjani is survived by five children, including a son named Mehdi currently serving a 10-year prison term for financial and security crimes.

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani (R) chats with former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani during a session of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran on September 3, 2013.

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