Over the previous few years, Dr. Yazdi had become a close adviser to the exiled cleric Khomeini, a guiding force behind the revolution. Dr. Yazdi, now a leader in the FMI, helped sell that view of moderation to the Western world. Dr. Yazdi served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister for revolutionary affairs for the interim government under Khomeini’s Islamic Republic. Dr. Yazdi was outspoken against hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection in 2009 amid street protests over accusations of widespread voter fraud. Dr. Yazdi was detained that year and released from prison in 2011, soon after he reputedly agreed to step down as FMI leader.

Source: Washington Post August 29, 2017 21:03 UTC