The brother of powerful Iranian cleric Ali Akbar Hasehemi Rafsanjani hailed the latter’s upcoming Friday sermon as one that Iranians have highly anticipated and said that a “great turnout” is expected…

Rafsanjani’s absence was seen by many as an indication of conflict within the Iranian establishment. Though he is not expected to speak harshly against the establishment to which he belongs, Rafsanjani’s public comments Friday are viewed as pivotal by some political observers in Iran.