Rafsanjani’s death will be deeply felt by the country’s moderates, who saw him as “a much needed balance against conservative forces that would further intensify domestic repression and put Iran on a path towards confrontation with the West,” said Trita Parsi, head of the National Iranian American Council and author of the upcoming book Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy. “He remained a critical player within the Iranian system, often using his influence to move Iran in a more moderate direction while mending fences with the West as well as with Iran’s Arab neighbors.”