Assembly of Experts Meet

Rather direct language is coming from Rafsanjani following a meeting of the Assembly of Experts that an "end" to Iran's political crisis is near. Citing a working path towards reconciliation, Rafsanjani said that "people with experience and goodwill are working on a plan to get out of the current situation" and that "the use of correct criticism should replace the current tensions."

It should be remembered that a two-thirds votes in the 86-member Assembly can remove Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

I'm skeptical that any such developments will come to fruition. Perhaps in the days of June, there was room for compromise, but it seems that far too much has happened since then for the opposition to accept anything short of the complete accountability of the regime. Nonetheless, Ahmadinejad's ouster would seem a bare minimum, and if Khamenei's recent words are to be listened to, then that is not coming anytime soon.

Further still, Rafsanjani again tried to play both sides of the divide. Giving credence to a now-staple accusation of the regime, he said that "foreign media were involved in the enemies' psychological warfare" against Iran. Such vague and cliche claims, however, may very well be part of Rafsanjani's political calculus as he waits out the end-game of the Islamic Republic's biggest crisis.