Former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died at the age of 82 on Sunday, leaving the country's moderates without an important and longstanding voice.Iran state media reported that Rafsanjani died after suffering a heart attack.The former president, who served from 1989 to 1997, was extraordinarily influential both in and out of office. He pursued improved ties with the West throughout his political career and supported the recent nuclear deal with the U.S. despite opposition to it among the nation's hardliners, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who rose to the position in no small part because of Rafsanjani's support.Rafsanjani helped found the republic after playing a key role in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In its chaotic aftermath, he led parliament and served as an aide to the first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. His counsel helped convince Khomeini to work toward an end to the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq war.Read more on VICE News.