Story highlights Rafsanjani died Sunday after suffering a heart attack. He was 82

The former president was seen as a conduit for better relations with the West

(CNN) Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died Sunday after suffering a heart attack, Iranian state-run media said. He was 82.

Rafsanjani, who served two terms as Iran's president from 1989 to 1997, continued to be an influential figure in Iranian politics.

At the time of his death he was the chairman of the Expediency Council, which aims to settle disputes between the country's parliament and the Guardian Council.

Throughout his political career, the former president was seen as a conduit for better relations with the West.

In a sign of mourning, state television channel Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) aired a black banner on the corner of its broadcast.

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