Rafsanjani and Iraq's occupation

Head of the Expediency Council in Iran Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani warned against the serious repercussions of continued U.S. occupation of Iraq.

In a statement during a religious ceremony Sunday night, Rafsanjani pointed out to the necessity of holding free elections with the participation of all Iraqis, stressing his country's readiness to offer help for Iraqis in this regard.

Rafsanjani also called Muslim scholars for meeting and settling existing issues through listening to the other opinion as well as selecting the optimal ideas and principles to avoid fanaticism in a way that serves Islam interests.