President Mohammad-Ali Rajai; From Sarvan and Zabul to New York

“Mohammad Rajai was unconditionally committed to Khomeini's position,” says Mansour Farhang, who served as Iran’s representative to the United Nations before resigning over the hostage crisis. Whereas Banisadr had been a mild critic of Bazargan, he says, Rajai’s presidency marked a decisive break with “liberals” like Bazargan and Banisadr. Rajai and his supporters, Farhang says, had begun using word “liberal” as a synonym for “treacherous” or “pro-American,” a habit they had picked up from Iran’s pro-Moscow communist party, Tudeh.