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Rafsanjani first became president of Iran in 1989. He was elected to the position after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Rafsanjani served as president for two terms, from 1989 to 1997. During his presidency, he oversaw Iran's economic recovery after the Iran-Iraq War and implemented a number of reforms aimed at modernizing the country.