The World - News from Jan. 8, 1988

Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini accused President Ali Khamenei of misinterpreting his views and trying to go too far in limiting the power of an Islamic government. The rare personal attack was contained in a letter from Khomeini criticizing the president’s views on the role of an Islamic regime as expressed in a prayer sermon, Iran’s official news agency reported. Parliament Speaker Hashemi Rafsanjani, a key contender for power in a post-Khomeini Iran, welcomed the letter and berated anyone who might deviate from the 87-year-old patriarch’s line. The developments appeared to signal a step-up in the struggle over who will rule Iran after the death of Khomeini, who reportedly is ailing.