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{{Infobox Officeholder
|name = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad<br><small>محمود احمدی‌نژاد</small>
|image = MahmoudAhmadiNejad.jpg
|office = ]
|leader = ]
|vicepresident = ]<br>]<br>]
|term_start = 3 August 2005
|term_end =
|predecessor = ]
|successor =
|office2 = ]
|term_start2 = 20 June 2003
|term_end2 = 3 August 2005
|predecessor2 = ]
|successor2 = ]
|birth_date = {{bda|1956|10|28|df=y}}
|birth_place = ], ]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|alma_mater = ]
|profession = ]
|party = ]
|otherparty = ]
|religion = ] ] ]
|spouse = Azam-Sadat Farahi
|website = http://www.president.ir
}}
'''Mahmoud Ahmadinejad''' ({{lang-fa|محمود احمدی نژاد}}, ''Mahmūd Ahmadinezhād'' {{Audio-IPA|lang=Persian|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Clean.ogg|mæhmuːde æhmædiːneʒɒːd}};{{fix|text=missing stress}} born 28 October 1956<ref name=EABTDO >{{cite web
| title = Ahmedinejad: Rose and Thorn
| publisher = The Diplomatic Observer
| url = http://www.diplomaticobserver.com/news_read.asp?id=1871
| accessdate = 2009-07-27 }}</ref><ref name=EABFB >{{cite web
| title = Mahmoud Ahmedinejad on Facebook
| publisher = ]
| date = 2001-07-24
| url = http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mahmud-Ahmedinejad/8613283977?v=info&viewas=0
| accessdate = 2009-07-27 }}</ref>) is the sixth and current ] of the ], and the main political leader of the ], a coalition of conservative political groups in the country.
An engineer and teacher<ref name="bioIR" /> from a poor background, Ahmadinejad joined the ]<ref name="bioIC" /> after the ]. Appointed a provincial governor, he was removed after the election of President ] and returned to teaching.<ref name="JLAnderson" /> Tehran's council appointed him mayor in 2003.<ref name="bioGS" /> He took a religious hard-line, reversing reforms of previous moderate mayors.<ref name=entekhab2006 /> His 2005 presidential campaign, supported by the ], and garnered 62% of the ] votes, becoming President on 3 August 2005.<ref name="Voice Of America">{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=Ahmadinejad Sworn in as Iran's New President | date=2005-08-06 | publisher=Voice Of America | url =http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-08/2005-08-06-voa8.cfm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-12-23 | language = }}</ref><ref name="Iran hardliner becomes president">{{cite news
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4740441.stm
| title = Iran hardliner becomes president
| accessdate = 2006-12-06
| date = 3 August 2005
| publisher = BBC
}}
</ref>

Ahmadinejad is a controversial figure both within and outside ]. He has been criticized domestically for his economic lapses and disregard for ]. He launched a ] in 2007 to reduce the country's fuel consumption, and cut the interest rates private and public banking facilities could charge.<ref name="InterestRates"> Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 29-07-2007.</ref><ref name="MPO"> BBC Persian. Retrieved 29-07-2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=175959
| title = Assembly of Experts to study economic reform plan: Rafsanjani
| accessdate = 2008-08-23
| date = 23 August 2008
|language=Persian
| publisher = Tehran Times
}}</ref> He supports ], which he says is for electricity generation. His ] was widely disputed and caused significant uproar both domestically and abroad. Major opposition parties,<ref></ref> traditional clerical circles<ref></ref> and influential Iranian politicians questioned the legitimacy of his presidency. International bodies and governments also expressed ].<ref></ref>
Ahmadinejad is an outspoken critic of ] foreign policy and ]. He does not regard the state of ] as legitimate or representative of the region's population.<ref>
"Iran president says UN sanctions unlikely", ''CNN'', April 24, 2006.</ref> He advocates "free elections" for the region, and believes ] need a stronger voice in the region's future.<ref>"UN Scrutiny Won't Make Iran Quit Nuclear Effort, President Says" Naila Fathi, ''New York Times''. January 15, 2006.</ref> His comment initially translated as calling for the "occupying regime" (taken to mean Israel) to be "]," caused significant controversy, though its translation and interpretation are still widely disputed.<ref name = "InternationalList1">
*, BBC News, Accessed 14-12-2005.
*, BBC News, Accessed 27-01-2008.
*Esfandiari, Golnaz. . Radio Free Europe. Accessed 28-01-2008.
*Vick, Karl and Mary Jordan. . ]. Accessed 28-10-2005.
*. ]. Accessed 16-12-2007.
*Slackman, Michael. . ], Accessed 24-09-2007.
*. ], Accessed 11-06-2006.
*. CNN. Accessed 27-09-2007.
*Fathi, Nazila. . New York Times. Accessed 17-10-2006.
*. ]. Accessed 27-12-2006.
*Bronner, Ethan. The New York Times. Accessed 11-06-2006.
*. The Daily Times of Pakistan. Retrieved 22-02-2006.</ref><ref name=schorn20060813>{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Schorn |date={{Date|2006-08-13|mdy}} |title=Iranian Leader Opens Up |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/09/60minutes/main1879867.shtml |work=] |publisher=] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> He has also been criticized for describing ] as a ],<ref name = "InternationalList1" /><ref>. ]. 14-12-2006.</ref> which has led to accusations of ].<ref name = "AntisemitismList1">
*, ], Accessed 11-06-2007.
*, ], Accessed 03-02-2007.
*, ], Accessed 18-02-2007.
*Stephens, Bret. , ], Accessed 12-02-2007.
*. ]. 15-02-2007.
*Namazi, Ghassem. . Iranian.com. Accessed 01-02-2006.
*Sayyed, Tashbih. . Muslim World Today. Accessed 26-01-2007.
*Ivins, Molly. , ], Accessed 08-06-2006.
*. ]. Accessed 05-02-2006.
*Smith-Spark, Laura. . ]. Accessed 26-05-2006.
*. ]. Accessed 27-01-2006.
*"He was defeated by the even more hard-line and anti-Semitic Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...". ]. ''Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future'', Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2006, p. 109, ISBN 1414311354
* The New York Times. Accessed 28-03-2008.
*, National Council of Churches. Retrieved 16-12-2005.</ref> Ahmadinejad has rejected accusations of anti-Semitism and ], saying that he "respect them very much" and that he was not "passing judgment" on the Holocaust.<ref name = "Ahmadinejad_Columbia">{{cite web
| url = http://ahmadinejadspeech.blogspot.com/
| title = Ahmadinejad's speech @ Columbia university &ndash; a transcript
| accessdate = 2009-02-02
| date = 25 September 2007
}}
</ref><ref name = "MA_respect_Jews">{{cite news
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5368458.stm
| title = Iranian leader 'not anti-Semite'
| accessdate = 2007-04-08
| date = 21 September 2006
| publisher = BBC
| quote = <small>'Some people think if they accuse me of being anti-Jew they can solve the problem. No, I am not anti-Jew,' he said. 'I respect them very much.'</small>
}}</ref> Nevertheless, his comments, such as the one Reuters quoted him as saying on September 18, 2009, that using the Holocaust as a "pretext for the foundation of the Zionist regime is a lie," continue to come across as abrasive and even threatening to Israel and Israel's allies.<ref> </ref>

==Background==

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was born near ] in the village of Aradan, the fourth of seven children of an ironworker, grocer, barber and blacksmith who changed his name from Saborjhian when the family moved to Tehran.<ref name="bioSenate" /><ref name="bioTait" >{{cite web
| author=Robert Tait
| title = A humble beginning helped to form Iran's new hard man
| publisher = ]
| date = 2005-07-02
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jul/02/iran.roberttait
| accessdate = 2009-07-27 }}</ref> However, Kasra Naji who wrote one of the most important biographies of Ahmadinejad available in the English language, contradicts this claim and adds that the name was actually 'Sabaghian' which means 'dye-masters' in Persian.<ref> Kasra Naji. "Ahmadinejad: The Secret History of Iran's Radical Leader". University of California Press (2008), p. 4 </ref>

In 1976, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took Iran's national university entrance contests. He was ranked 132nd out of 400,000 participants that year,<ref name=EABBBC20060814 >{{cite web
| title = Iran's president launches weblog
| publisher = ]
| date = 2006-08-14
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4790005.stm
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> and soon enrolled in the ] (IUST) as an undergraduate student of ]. He received a PhD in transportation engineering and planning from IUST in 1997.

Supporters of Ahmadinejad consider him a "simple man" that leads a "modest" life. As president, he wanted to continue living in his "modest" family home in Tehran, until his security advisers forced him to move. Ahmadinejad rolled up the antique Persian carpets in the Presidential palace, sent them to a carpet museum, and used low-cost carpets instead. He is said to have refused the V.I.P. seat on the Presidential plane, and that he eventually replaced it with a cargo plane instead.<ref>{{cite news|title=Can Iran Change?|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/13/090413fa_fact_anderson|date=2009-04-13|publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Africa can Learn from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad|url=http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=4368|publisher=The African Executive}}</ref> Also upon gaining Iran's presidency, Ahmadinejad held his first cabinet meeting in the ] at ], an act perceived as "pious".<ref>{{cite article|author=Pepe Escobar |title=Travels in Ahmadinejadland
|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GI15Ak02.html}}</ref>

Ahmadinejad is married with two sons and a daughter.<ref> ]. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> One of his sons formerly studied at the ] (Tehran Polytechnic).<ref> Newsmax. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref>

===Administrative and academic careers===
Some details of Ahmadinejad's life during the 1980s are not publicly known, but it is known that he held a number of administrative posts in the province of West Azerbaijan.<ref name="JLAnderson">{{cite web
|author = John Lee Anderson
|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/13/090413fa_fact_anderson?printable=true
|title=Can Iran Change? High stakes in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection campaign
|publisher=]
|date= 2009-04-13
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

Many reports say that after ] ], Ahmadinejad joined the ]<ref name="bioGS" /> and served in their intelligence and security apparatus,<ref name="bioGS" /> but his advisor ] says "He has never been a member or an official member of the Revolutionary Guards", having been a ]i-like volunteer instead.<ref name=EABFT20080530 >{{cite web
| author= Najmeh Bozorgmehr
| url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3c04bcbc-2d9e-11dd-b92a-000077b07658,dwp_uuid=be75219e-940a-11da-82ea-0000779e2340.html?nclick_check=1
| title = Interview transcript: Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi
| accessdate = 2009-07-28
| date = 2008-05-30
| publisher = ]
}}</ref>

Ahmadinejad was accepted to a ] program at his alma mater in 1986. He joined the faculty there as a lecturer in 1989,<ref name="bioIR">. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref><ref name="bioSenate" >{{cite web
| author= Hussein D. Hassan
| title = Profile and Statements of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
| publisher = ]
| date = 2007-01-16
| url =
http://brownback.senate.gov/public/legissues/foreignpol_crsreportiranprofilestateofpres.pdf
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> and in 1997 received his ] in civil engineering and traffic transportation planning.<ref name="bioIR" /><ref name="bioGS"> Global Security. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref>

===Embassy siege===
{{Main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the 1979 Hostage Crisis}}
Stories suggesting that Ahmadinejad was a participant in the 1980 siege of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran are now generally considered to have been discredited.

===Early political career===
After the ], Ahmadinejad became a member of the ],<ref name="bioIC" >{{cite web
| title = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
| publisher = Iran Chamber Society
| url = http://www.iranchamber.com/history/mahmadinejad/mahmoud_ahmadinejad.php
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> an organization developed to prevent students from sympathizing or allying with the budding ].<ref name="bioIC" />

He first took political office as unelected governor to both ] and ] in ] during the 1980s.<ref name="bioGS" /> He eventually became an advisor to the governor general of ] for two years.<ref name="bioIR" /><ref name="bioSenate" /> During his doctoral studies at Tehran, he was appointed governor general of ] from 1993 until ] removed him in 1997 <ref name="bioSenate" /> when he returned to teaching.<ref name="bioGS" />

===Mayor of Tehran===
In 2003, a 12 percent turnout elected ] candidates from the ] to the ].<ref name="bioIR" /> The Council appointed Ahmadinejad ].<ref name="bioGS" />

As mayor, he reversed changes made by previous ] and ] mayors. He put religious emphasis on the activities of cultural centers they had founded, publicized the separation of ]s for men and women in the municipality offices,<ref name=entekhab2006> Entekhab News. Retrieved 31-08-2006.</ref> and suggested that people killed in the ] be buried in major ]s of Tehran. He also worked to improve the traffic system and put an emphasis on ], such as distributing free soup to the poor.

After his election to the presidency, Ahmadinejad's resignation as the mayor of Tehran was accepted on 28 June 2005. After two years as mayor, Ahmadinejad was one of 65 finalists for ] in 2005, selected from 550 nominees, only nine of them from Asia.<ref name="world mayor" /> He was among three strong candidates for the top ten list, but his resignation made him ineligible.<ref name="world mayor">. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref>

==Presidency==
===2005 Campaign===
Ahmadinejad was not widely known when he entered the presidential election campaign, although he had already made his mark in Tehran for rolling back earlier reforms. He is a member of the ], but his key political support is inside the ] (''Abadgaran'' or ''Developers'').<ref>Aneja, Atul (2006). He was also known as tir khalas zan before becoming president. Frontline. Retrieved 28-07-2007.</ref><!-- This material no longer available at the URL stated 20090802 -->

Ahmadinejad generally sent mixed signals about his plans for his presidency, perhaps to attract both ]s and the lower economic classes.<ref name=WP20050619 >{{cite web
| author=Karl Vick
| title = Hard-Line Figure In Iran Runoff
| publisher = ]
| date = 2005-06-19
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061801226_pf.html
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> His campaign ] was: "It's possible and we can do it".<ref name=PersMirror2005 />

In the campaign, he took a ] approach. He emphasized his own modest life, and compared himself with ], Iran's second president. Ahmadinejad said he planned to create an "exemplary government for the people of the world" in Iran. He was a "principlist", acting politically based on Islamic and ] principles. One of his goals was "putting the ] income on people's tables", meaning Iran's oil profits would be distributed among the poor.<ref name=AT20060119 >{{cite web
| author= Sami Moubayed
| title = Iran and the art of crisis management
| publisher = ]
| date = 2006-01-19
| url = http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HA19Ak03.html
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref>

Ahmadinejad was the only presidential candidate who spoke out against future relations with the United States. He told ] the ] was "one-sided, stacked against the ]."<ref>Brea, Jennifer. . Retrieved 31-08-2006.</ref><!-- This material no longer available at the URL stated 20090802 --> He opposed the ] of the ]'s five permanent members: "It is not just for a few states to sit and veto global approvals. Should such a privilege continue to exist, the ] with a population of nearly 1.5 billion should be extended the same privilege." He defended ] and accused "a few arrogant powers" of trying to limit Iran's industrial and technological development in this and other fields.

In his second round campaign, he said, "We didn't participate in the revolution for turn-by-turn government.…This revolution tries to reach a world-wide government." He spoke of an extended program using trade to improve foreign relations, and called for greater ties with Iran's neighbours and ending ] requirements between states in the region, saying that "people should visit anywhere they wish freely. People should have freedom in their ]s and tours."<ref name=PersMirror2005>
{{cite web
| author= Babnet Tunisia
| title = More on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
| publisher = Persian Mirror
| date = 2005
| url = http://persianmirror.com/community/2005/opinion/MahmoudAhmadinejad.cfm
| accessdate = 2009-08-02 }}</ref>

Ahmadinejad described ] ], a senior cleric from ] as his ideological and spiritual mentor. Mesbah founded the ] School of thought in Iran. He and his team strongly supported Ahmadinejad's 2005 presidential campaign.
<ref name=Prospect20060625>
{{cite web
| author= Nazenin Ansari
| title = Divide and empower
| publisher = Prospect Magazine
| date = 2006-06-25
| url = http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7487
| accessdate = 2009-08-02 }}</ref><!-- Available to subscribers only -->

===2005 Election===
{{Main|Iranian presidential election, 2005}}
Ahmadinejad won 62 percent of the vote in the ] against ]. ] ] authorized his presidency on 3 August 2005.<ref name="Voice Of America"/>
<ref name="Iran hardliner becomes president"/> Ahmedinejad kissed Khamenei's hand during the ceremony to show his loyalty.<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&m=09&d=09&a=1
| title = Behind Ahmadinejad, a Powerful Cleric
| accessdate = 2006-12-06
| date = 9 September 2006
| publisher = New York Times
}}
</ref><ref></ref>

===2005 Cabinet Appointments===
Iran's President must obtain ] confirmation for his selection of ministers.<ref name=ir-const-art113>{{cite web |title=Article 133 |work=] |url=http://www.servat.unibe.ch/law/icl/ir00000_.html#A133_ |publisher=International Constitutional Law |year=1992 |accessdate={{Date|2009-08-02|mdy}}}}</ref> Ahmadinejad presented a short-list at a private meeting on 5 August, and his final list on 14 August.

The Majlis rejected all of his cabinet candidates for the oil portfolio and objected to the appointment of his allies in senior government office.<ref name=AT20060119 /> The Majlis approved a cabinet on 24 August.<ref> Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref><!-- Dead link. Material no longer available at this URL 20090802 --> The ministers promised to meet frequently outside Tehran and held their first meeting on 25 August in ], with four empty seats for the unapproved nominees.<ref name=KT20050826>{{cite web |title=Depleted Iran cabinet meets after rejection of four by parliament
|author = Reuters
|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/August/middleeast_August739.xml&section=middleeast&col=
|publisher=Khaleej Times Online
|date=2005-08-26 |accessdate={{Date|2009-08-02|mdy}}}}</ref>

{| style="margin:auto;" class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Ministry
! Candidate minister
|-
| Agricultural || ]
|-
| Commerce || ]
|-
| Communication and Information Technology || ]
|-
| Cooperatives || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| Economy and Financial Affairs || ] (pending approval from parliament)
|-
| Education || ]
|-
| Energy || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| Housing and Urban Development || ]
|-
| Industries and Mines || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| ] || Seyed Sadegh Mahsooli<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7735947.stm |title='&#39;BBC'&#39;: New Iran interior chief approved |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-11-18 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| Labour and Social Affairs || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| Roads and Transportation || ]
|-
| Science, Research, and Technology || ]
|-
| Welfare and Social Security || ]
|}

===2006 Councils and Assembly of Experts election===
{{Main|Iranian councils election, 2006|Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2006}}

Ahmadinejad’s team lost the 2006 city council elections<ref name=WP20061217 />, and his spiritual mentor, ], was ranked sixth on the country's Assembly of Experts.<ref name=II20070121>{{cite web| url = http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Security/10403.htm | title = Khamenei calls for moderating national stance on nukes| accessdate = 2007-01-21| date = | publisher = Israel Insider}}</ref> In the first nationwide election since Ahmadinejad became President, his allies failed to dominate election returns for the ] and local councils. Results, with a turnout of about 60%, suggested a voter shift toward more moderate policies. According to an editorial in the Kargozaran independent ], "The results show that voters have learned from the past and concluded that we need to support.. moderate figures." An Iranian political analyst said that "this is a blow for Ahmadinejad and ] list."<ref name=WP20061217>Blair, Edmund. ]. Retrieved 18-12-2006.</ref>

===2009 Presidential Election===
], ], 16 June 2009]]
{{Main|Iranian presidential election, 2009}}
On 23 August 2008, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced that he "sees Ahmadinejad as president in the next five years," a comment interpreted as indicating support for Ahmadinejad's reelection.<ref>"Renewed Power Struggle in Iran as the Presidential Elections Approach: Part I – Ahmadinejad's Revolutionary-Messianic Faction vs. Rafsanjani–Reformist Alliance." By: Y. Mansharof and A. Savyon* Iran|#488 | 26 December 2008</ref> 39,165,191 ballots were cast in the election on 12 June 2009, according to Iran's election headquarters. Ahmadinejad won 24,527,516 votes, (62.63%). In second place, ], won 13,216,411 (33.75%) of the votes.<ref name=leads>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8098305.stm|date=13 June 2009|accessdate=13 June 2009|title=Ahmadinejad 'leads in Iran election' }}</ref> The election drew unprecedented public interest in Iran.

== 2009 Iranian Election Protests ==
{{Main|2009 Iranian election protests}}
{{as of | September 2009}}, the election results remain in dispute with both Mousavi and Ahmadinejad and their respective supporters who believe that ] occurred during the election. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed Ahmadinejad as President on 3 August 2009, and Ahmadinejad was sworn in for a second term on 5 August 2009.<ref name=BBC20090805/> Several Iranian political figures appeared to avoid the ceremony. Former presidents ], and ], who is currently head of the ], along with opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, did not attend the ceremony.<ref>{{Cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8180811.stm| title = Iran poll critics shun ceremony| accessdate = 5 August 2009| date=3 August 2009| publisher = ]}}</ref> Opposition groups asked protesters on reformist websites and blogs to launch new street demonstrations on the day of the inauguration ceremony.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Iran's opposition calls for inauguration protests | url = http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jGSJEAPs_r2T2wxsL5G3t4z-jajQD99S84080 | publisher=]| agency=]| date=4 August 2009| accessdate=5 August 2009}}</ref> On ], hundreds of riot police met opposition protesters outside parliament. After taking the ], which was broadcast live on ], Ahmadinejad said that he will "protect the official faith, the system of the Islamic revolution and the constitution".<ref name=BBC20090805/> France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States announced that they would not send the usual letters of congratulation.<ref name=BBC20090805>{{Cite news| date=5 August 2009| accessdate=5 August 2009| title=Defiant Iran president takes oath |publisher=]| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8184240.stm}}</ref>
While addressing the 11th scientific and research meeting of university professors on July 31, 2009, president Ahmadinejad concluded:
<blockquote>
The June 12 presidential election ruined the dominance of wealth, political party system and media as tools of the hegemonic system and presented a new role model to the human race.<ref>http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3460/html/</ref>
</blockquote>

===2009 Cabinet Appointments===

Ahmadinejad announced controversial ministerial appointments for his second term. ] was briefly appointed as first vice president, but opposed by a number of Majlis members and by the intelligence minister, ]. Mashaei followed orders to resign. Ahmadinejad then appointed Mashaei as chief of staff, and fired Mohseni-Eje'i.<ref></ref>

On July 26 2009, Ahmadinejad's government faced a legal problem after he sacked four ministers. Iran's constitution (Article 136) stipulates that, if more than half of its members are replaced, the cabinet may not meet or act before the Majlis approves the revised membership.<ref></ref> The Vice Chairman of the Majlis announced that no cabinet meetings or decisions would be legal, pending such a reapproval.<ref></ref>

The main list of 21 cabinet appointments was announced on August 19, 2009.<ref>http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=104018&sectionid=351020101 Ahmadinejad unveils new cabinet</ref> On September 4, Majlis approved 18 of the 21 candidates and rejected three of them, including two women. ], ], and ] were not approved by Majlis for the Ministries of Education, Energy, and Welfare and Social Security respectively. ] is the first woman approved by Majlis as a minister in the Islamic Republic of Iran.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8235264.stm</ref>

{| style="margin:auto;" class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Ministry
! Minister
|-
| Agricultural || ]
|-
| Commerce || ]
|-
| Communication and Information Technology || ]
|-
| Cooperatives || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| Economy and Financial Affairs || ]
|-
| Education || ] (not confirmed)
|-
| Energy || ] (not confirmed)
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| Housing and Urban Development || ]
|-
| Industries and Mines || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| Labour and Social Affairs || ]
|-
| ] || ]
|-
| Roads and Transportation || ]
|-
| Science, Research, and Technology || ]
|-
| Welfare and Social Security || ] (not confirmed)
|}

==Domestic policy==
===Economic policy===
{{See also|Economy of Iran}}

In Ahmadinejad's first four years as president, Iran's real GDP reflected growth of the economy. Inflation and unemployment have also decreased under Ahmadinejad due to better economic management and ending the unsustainable spending and borrowing patterns of previous administrations .<ref name="entre"> Reuters India. Retrieved 03-31-2008.</ref><ref name="entre"> PressTV. Retrieved 09-16-2009.</ref> Ahmadinejad has increased spending by 25 percent and has supported ] for food and ]. He also initially refused a gradual increase of petrol prices, saying that after making necessary preparations, such as a development of ] system, the government will free up petrol prices after five years.<ref>Bakhtiar, Abbas. Payvand. Retrieved 25-01-2007.</ref> Interest rates were cut by presidential decree to below the inflation rate. One unintended effect of this stimulation of the economy has been the bidding up of some urban real estate prices by two or three times their pre-Ahmadinejad value by Iranians seeking to invest surplus cash and finding few other safe opportunities. The resulting increase in the cost of housing has hurt poorer, non-property owning Iranians, the putative beneficiaries of Ahmadinejad's populist policies.<ref>"Letter from Tehran, The rationalist" by Laura Secor p.31 ''The New Yorker'', February 2, 2009</ref> The Management and Planning Organisation, a state body charged with mapping out long-term economic and budget strategy, was broken up and its experienced managers were fired.<ref name="donkey">{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2008/09/iran-economic-ahmadinejad |title=“Economics is for donkeys” Robert Tait, Published 11 September 2008 |publisher=Newstatesman.com |date=2008-09-11 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

In June 2006, 50 Iranian economists wrote a letter to Ahmadinejad that criticized his price interventions to stabilize prices of ], ], government services, and his decree issued by the High Labor Council and the Ministry of Labor that proposed an increase of workers' salaries by 40 percent. Ahmadinejad publicly responded harshly to the letter and denounced the accusations.<ref> Daily Star. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref><ref> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad has called for "middle-of-the-road" compromises with respect to Western-oriented ] and ]. Current political conflicts with the United States have caused the central bank to fear increased capital flight due to ]. These factors have prevented an improvement of ] and ] influx, despite high economic potential.<ref name="entre" /> Among those that did not vote for him in the first election, only 3.5 percent said they would consider voting for him in the next election.<ref>Sanati, Kimia. . Asia Times. Retrieved 01-02-2008.</ref> ], a member of ] that campaigned for Ahmadinejad, said that his government "has been strong on populist slogans, but weak on achievement."<ref name="discontent" >Dareini, Ali Akbar. The ]. Retrieved 28-08-2007.</ref>
President Ahmadinejad has changed almost all of his economic ministers, including oil, industry and economy, since coming to power in 2005. In an interview with Fars News Agency on April 2008, ] who acted as minister of economy in President Ahmadinejad’s cabinet, harshly criticized Ahmadinejad’s economic policy: “During my time, there was no positive attitude towards previous experiences or experienced people and there was no plan for the future. Peripheral issues which were not of dire importance to the nation were given priority. Most of the scientific economic concepts like the effect of liquidity on inflation were put in question."<ref>{{cite web|author=Apr 22, 2008 |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jPjMFDWR5wix280l0R7irdv5THEg |title=AFP: Ahmadinejad slammed by outgoing economy minister |publisher=Afp.google.com |date=2008-04-22 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> In response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad accused his minister of not being "a man of justice" and declared that the solution to Iran’s economic problem is "the culture of martyrdom".<ref>{{cite web|author=Apr 24, 2008 |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jelVVHDZfukEAiK80qF88B6Q1Tpg |title=AFP: Martyrdom would solve Iran's economic woes: Ahmadinejad |publisher=Afp.google.com |date=2008-04-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> In May 2008, the Petroleum minister of Iran admitted that the government illegally invested 2 billion dollars to import petrol in 2007. At Iranian parliament, he also mentioned that he simply followed the president's order.<ref>{{Dead link|date=June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://norooznews.ir/news/7088.php |title=تخلف دو ميليارد دلاري احمدي‌نژاد در وارادات غيرقانوني بنزين :: |publisher=www.norooznews.ir |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

While his government had 275 thousand billion ] oil income, the highest in Iranian history, Ahmadinejad’s government had the highest budget deficit since the Iranian revolution.<ref>{{cite news|last=Leyne |first=Jon |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7687107.stm |title=Middle East &#124; Iran economy facing 'perfect storm' |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-10-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a ] to reduce the country's fuel consumption. He also instituted cuts in the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge.<ref name="InterestRates"/><ref name="MPO"/><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=175959
| title = Assembly of Experts to study economic reform plan: Rafsanjani
| accessdate = 2008-08-23
| date = 23 August 2008
| publisher = Tehran Times
}}
</ref> He issued a directive, according to which the ] should be affiliated to the government.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.payvand.com/news/06/oct/1192.html
| title = Iran: Debate heats up over restructuring of Management and Planning Organization
| accessdate = 2009-04-27
| date = 18 October 2006
| publisher = Payvand
}}
</ref>

===Family planning and population policy===
{{See also|Family planning in Iran}}

In October 2006, Ahmadinejad opposed encouraging families to limit themselves to just two children, stating that Iran could cope with 50 million more people than the current 70 million. In remarks that have drawn criticism, he told ] he wanted to scrap existing birth control policies which discouraged Iranian couples from having more than two children. Critics said his call was ill-judged at a time when Iran was struggling with surging inflation and rising unemployment, estimated at around 11 percent. Ahmadinejad’s call for an increased birth rate is reminiscent of a call Ayatollah ] made in 1979. The policy was effective in increasing population growth, but was eventually reversed in response to the resultant economic strain.<ref name="Guard-Child"> ]. Retrieved 03-05-2007.</ref>

In 2008, the government sent the "Family Protection Bill" to the Iranian parliament. Women's rights activists criticized the bill for removing protections from women, such as the requirement that a husband obtain his wife's consent before bringing another wife into the family.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=d2936dca-6f92-4333-bba3-a0e61c07edab&MatchID1=4737&TeamID1=8&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1194&MatchID2=4728&TeamID3=2&TeamID4=3&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1191&PrimaryID=4737&Headline=Ebadi+protests+against+Iran%e2%80%99s+polygamy+bill&strParent=strParentID |title=Ebadi protests against Iran’s polygamy bill |publisher=Hindustan Times |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

===Housing===
{{See also|Construction industry of Iran#Mehr Housing Scheme}}
The first legislation to emerge from his newly formed government was a 12 trillion ] (]1.3 billion) fund called ''"Reza's Compassion Fund"'',<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/012137.shtml
| title = "Reza's Compassion Fund" project archived.
| accessdate = 2006-10-17
| date =
| year =
| month =
| work =
| publisher = ]
| language = {{fa icon}}
}}
</ref> named after ] ] ]. Ahmadinejad's government said this fund would tap Iran's ] ]s to help young people get jobs, afford marriage, and buy their own homes.<ref> ]. Retrieved 18-05-2008.</ref> The fund also sought charitable donations, with a ] in each of Iran's 30 provinces. The legislation was a response to the cost of urban housing, which is pushing up the national average marital age (currently around 25 years for women and 28 years for men). In 2006 the Iranian parliament rejected the fund.
However, Ahmadinejad ordered the administrative council to execute the plan.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016575.shtml
| title = Reza's Compassion Fund; a political fund with 530 billion budget.
| accessdate = 2006-10-17
| date =
| year =
| month =
| work =
| publisher = ]
| language = {{fa icon}}
}}
</ref>

===Human rights===
{{See also|Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran}}
Several Western ] organizations and governments have criticized Ahmadinejad's human rights record.

According to a report by the group ], "Since President Ahmadinejad came to power, treatment of detainees has worsened in ] as well as in detention centers operated clandestinely by the Judiciary, the Ministry of Information, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps."<ref> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Again according to ], "Respect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and assembly, deteriorated in 2006. The government routinely ]s and mistreats detained dissidents, including through prolonged ]." Human Rights Watch described the source of human rights violations in contemporary Iran as coming from the Judiciary, accountable to ], and from members directly appointed by Ahmadinejad.

Responses to dissent have varied. Human Rights Watch writes that "the Ahmadinejad government, in a pronounced shift from the policy under former president ], has shown no tolerance for peaceful protests and gatherings." In December 2006, Ahmadinejad advised officials not to disturb students who engaged in a protest during a speech of his at the ] in Tehran,<ref> Rajanews. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref><ref> Rajanews. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> although speakers at other protests have included among their complaints that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.<ref>Fathi, Nazila. ]. Retrieved 12-12-2006.</ref>

In April 2007, the Tehran police, which is under Khamenei's supervision, began a crackdown on women with "improper ]." This led to criticism from associates of Ahmadinejad.<ref> Baztab. Retrieved 23-4-2007.</ref>

===Universities===
In 2006, the <ref>http://www.neyous.com</ref> government reportedly forced numerous Iranian scientists and university professors to resign or to retire. It has been referred to as "second ]".<ref> Rooz. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref><ref>Irani, Hamid. . Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> The policy has been said to replace old professors with younger ones.<ref> Aftab News. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> Some university professors received letters indicating their early retirement unexpectedly.<ref> Aftab News. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> In November 2006, 53 university professors had to retire from ].<ref> Gooya. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

In 2006, Ahmadinejad's government applied a 50 percent ] for male students and 50 percent for female students in the university entrance exam for ], ] and ]. The plan was supposed to stop the growing presence of female students in the universities. In a response to critics, Iranian minister of health and medical education, ] argued that there are not enough facilities such as dormitories for female students. Masoud Salehi, president of Zahedan University said that presence of women generates some problems with transportation. Also, Ebrahim Mekaniki, president of ], stated that an increase in the presence of women will make it difficult to distribute facilities in a suitable manner. Bagher Larijani, the president of ] made similar remarks. According to ], the quotas lack a legal foundation and are justified as support for "family" and "religion."<ref> Rooz Online. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

====December 2006 student protest====
On 11 December 2006, some students disrupted a speech by Ahmadinejad at the ] (Tehran Polytechnic) in Tehran. According to the ], students set fire to photographs of Ahmadinejad and threw firecrackers. The protesters also chanted "death to the ]." It was the first major public protest against Ahmadinejad since his election. In a statement carried on the students' Web site,{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} they announced that they had been protesting the growing political pressure under Ahmadinejad, also accusing him of corruption, mismanagement, and discrimination. The statement added that "the students showed that despite vast ], the president has not been able to deceive ]." It was also reported that some students were angry about the ].<ref name="students" >Theodoulou, Michael. {{citeweb|url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1841632006|title=Protesters condemn Holocaust conference.|publisher=The Scotsman|accessdate=Retrieved 06-05-2007}}</ref>

In response to the students' slogans, the president said: "We have been standing up to dictatorship so that no one will dare to establish dictatorship in a millennium even in the name of freedom. Given the scars inflicted on the Iranian nation by agents of the US and British dictatorship, no one will ever dare to initiate the rise of a dictator."<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.irna.com/en/news/view/line-17/0612111551150517.htm|title=President: Students are pioneers of revolutionary movements &ndash; Irna}}<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It was reported that even though the protesters broke the TV cameras and threw hand-made bombs at Ahmadinejad,<ref>{{cite web|author=14:29:55 |url=http://peyvast.blog.com/1353199/ |title=Films of yesterday protest in Iran are leaking out « Connections پیوست |publisher=Peyvast.blog.com |date=2006-12-12 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> the president asked the officials not to question or disturb the protesters.<ref></ref>{{Dead link|date=September 2009}}<ref></ref>{{Dead link|date=September 2009}} In his blog, Ahmadinejad described his reaction to the incident as "a feeling of joy" because of the freedom that people enjoyed after the revolution.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/en/freedom/|title=Freedom and Liberty|publisher=Ahmadinejad's English Blog}}</ref>

One thousand students also protested the day before to denounce the increased pressure on the reformist groups at the university. One week prior, more than two thousand students protested at ] on the country's annual student day, with speakers saying that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.<ref name="students" /><ref>{{cite news | url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650214386,00.html | title=Students disrupt speech by Iran chief | author=Nazila Fathi | publisher=New York Times News Service | date=12 December 2006}}</ref>

===Nuclear program===
{{See also|Nuclear program of Iran}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->
Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of ], and has insisted that it is for peaceful purposes. He has repeatedly emphasized that building a ] is not the policy of his government. He has said that such a policy is "illegal and against our religion."<ref> ]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref><ref> ]. Retrieved 04-09-2007.</ref> He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran that a nation with "culture, logic and civilization" would not need nuclear weapons, and that countries that seek nuclear weapons are those which want to solve all problems by the use of force.<ref> ]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> In a 2008 interview Ahmadinejad elaborated that countries striving to obtain nuclear weapons are politically backward nations and those who possess them and continually make new generations of such bombs are "even more backward".<ref name="Press TV">{{cite news |author= ]; ] |title= Ahmadinejad: Nukes for politically backward states |url= http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=70578&sectionid=3510302 |work= ] |date=2008-09-26 |accessdate=2008-09-26 }}</ref>

In April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully refined ] to a stage suitable for the ]. In a speech to students and academics in ], he was quoted as saying that Iran's conditions had changed completely as it had become a nuclear state and could talk to other states from that stand.<ref> Arabic News. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> On 13 April 2006, Iranian news agency, ], quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that the peaceful Iranian nuclear technology would not pose a threat to any party because "we want peace and stability and we will not cause injustice to anyone and at the same time we will not submit to injustice."<ref> UPI. Retrieved 12-06-2006.</ref> Nevertheless, Iran's nuclear policy under Ahmadinejad's administration has received much criticism, spearheaded by the United States and Israel. The accusations include that Iran is striving to obtain nuclear arms and developing long-range firing capabilities, and that Ahmadinejad issued an order to keep ] inspectors from freely visiting the nation's nuclear facilities and viewing their designs, a move which would be in defiance of an ] resolution.<ref></ref><ref> The Washington Post.</ref><ref> The New York Times.</ref><ref> FOX News.</ref> Following a May 2009 test launch of a long-range ], Ahmadinejad was quoted as telling the crowd that with its nuclear program, Iran was sending the West a message that “the Islamic Republic of Iran is running the show.”<ref> The New York Times.</ref>

Despite Ahmadinejad's vocal support for the program, the office of the Iranian president is not directly responsible for nuclear policy. It is instead set by the ]. The council includes two representatives appointed by the ], military officials, and members of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government, and reports directly to Supreme Leader ], who issued a ] against nuclear weapons in 2005.<ref>Recknagel, Charles. Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 29-102006.</ref>. Khamenei has criticized Ahmadinejad's "personalization" of the nuclear issue.<ref name="moderating"> The Times of India. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

Ahmadinejad vowed on February 2008, that Iran will not be held back from developing its peaceful nuclear program<ref>. Retrieved 24-02-2008.</ref> and has stated that at least 16 different peaceful uses for nuclear technology have so far been identified.<ref name="Press TV"/> In a 2009 interview, when asked by reporter Ann Curry whether he would rule out an Iranian nuclear bomb in the future, he responded: "We have no need for nuclear weapons." When Curry retorted, "So, may I assume, then, your answer to that question is 'no'?" Ahmadinejad repeated his answer, adding "Without such weapons, we are very much able to defend ourselves." Curry then warned Ahmadinejad that "people will remark that you did not say no." To which Ahmadinejad responded, "You can take from this whatever you want, madam."<ref> Yahoo! News.</ref>

==Domestic criticism==
===Accusations of corruption===
Ahmadinejad has been criticized for attacking private “plunderers” and “corrupt officials,” while engaging in "] and political favouritism". Many of his close associates have been appointed to positions for which they have no obvious qualifications, and "billion dollar no-bid contracts" have been awarded to the ] (IRGC), an organization with which he is strongly associated.<ref>{{cite web|author=Crisis Group |url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4647&l=1 |title=International Crisis Group, Iran: Ahmadi-Nejad’s Tumultuous Presidency, 6 February 2007 |publisher=Crisisgroup.org |date=2007-02-06 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

===Criticisms of statements and social issues===
In 2005, ] responded to Ahmadinejad's remark that ] should be "]" by saying that "the ] has never threatened and will never threaten any country."<ref>Edalat, Abbas. . The Guardian. Retrieved 05-04-2007.</ref> Moreover, Khamenei's main adviser in foreign policy, ], refused to take part in Ahmadinejad's Holocaust conference. In contrast to Ahmadinejad's remarks, Velayati said that the Holocaust was a ] and a historical reality.<ref>. Iran Press Service. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref>

In June 2007, Ahmadinejad was criticized by some Iranian parliament members over his remark about ] and ]. According to Aftab News Agency, Ahmadinejad stated: "In the world, there are deviations from the right path: Christianity and Judaism. Dollars have been devoted to the propagation of these deviations. There are also false claims that these will save mankind. But Islam is the only religion that save mankind." Some members of Iranian parliament criticized these remarks as being fuels to religious war.<ref><nowiki>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/CWN/121605iran.aspx</nowiki>{{Dead link|date=May 2009}} "Iran's President Threatens Crackdown on Christianity" CBN News. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date={{Date|2007-06-07|mdy}} |title=دفاع از اظهارات احمدی‌نژاد عليه مسيحيت و يهود، آفتاب |url=http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/2007/06/060469.php |publisher=] |language=] |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref>

Conservative MP Rafat Bayat has blamed Ahmadinejad for a decline in observance of the required ] for women, calling him "not that strict on this issue".<ref>Harrison, Frances. . Retrieved 16-04-2007.</ref> Ahmadinejad has been also accused of indecency by people close to ],<ref> Ansar News. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> after he publicly kissed the hand of a woman who used to be his school teacher.<ref> BBC News. Retrieved 28-01-2008.</ref>

Ahmadinejad's criticism of the West has led to attempts to compel him to go to the Iranian parliament to answer questions.<ref> ], Accessed16-01-2007.</ref> In October 2008, Ahmadinejad's statements on the Holocaust were criticized within Iran by cleric and presidential hopeful ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Karrubi declares presidential candidacy |url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=179869 |work=Tehran Times |date=2008-10-13 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Iran presidential candidate hits out at Holocaust denial |url=http://news.trendaz.com/index.shtml?show=news&newsid=1317719&lang=EN |work=Trend News Agency |date=2006-10-12 |accessdate=2008-10-21}}</ref>

===Statements on the United Nations and football stadiums===
Two statements that have brought criticism from some religious authorities concern his speech at the United Nations, and the attendance of women at football matches. In a visit to group of Ayatollahs in ] after returning from his 2005 speech to the ], Ahmadinejad stated he had "felt a halo over his head" during his speech and that a hidden presence had mesmerized the unblinking audience of foreign leaders, foreign ministers, and ambassadors. According to at least one source (Hooman Majd), this was offensive to the conservative religious leaders because an ordinary man cannot presume a special closeness to God or any of the ], nor can he imply the presence of the ].<ref name=majd2008p79>''The Ayatollah Begs to Differ : The Paradox of Modern Iran'' by Hooman Majd, Doubleday, 2008, p.79</ref>

In another statement the next year, Ahmadinejad proclaimed (without consulting the clerics before hand), that women should be allowed into football stadiums to watch male football clubs compete. This proclamation "was quickly overruled" by clerical authorities, one of whom, Grand Ayatollah ] "refused for weeks to meet with President Ahmadinejad" in early 2007.<ref name=majd2008p79/>

===Criticisms from other political parties===
Many reformist and independent political parties, including some of those that boycotted the first round of the presidential election, have called for an alliance against Ahmadinejad, calling it "a national alliance against ]."{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} Critics, including some independent ones, have mentioned that while there are some similarities between the actions and rising of supporters of Ahmadinejad with those of fascism, the movement differs because it is neither ] nor ] and lacks ].

Some dissident groups also accused him of being a ruthless interrogator and torturer in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2605 |title=Iran Focus-Iran’s new President has a past mired in controversy &ndash; Iran (General) &ndash; News |publisher=Iranfocus.com |date=2005-06-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

===Ahmadinejad–Haddad Adel conflict over Iranian constitution===
In 2008, a serious conflict emerged between Iranian President and the head of parliament over three laws approved by Iranian parliament: "the agreement for civil and criminal legal cooperation between Iran and Kyrgyzstan", "the agreement to support mutual investment between Iran and Kuwait", and "the law for registration of industrial designs and trademarks". The conflict was so serious that the Iranian leader stepped in to resolve the conflict. Ahmadinejad wrote a letter to parliament speaker ], furiously denouncing him for an "inexplicable act" in bypassing the presidency by giving the order to implement legislation in an official newspaper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080422%5CACQDJON200804220542DOWJONESDJONLINE000190.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=Iran%20President%20Ahmadinejad%20In%20Rows%20With%203%20Leading%20Officials%20-%20AFP |title=Iran President Ahmadinejad In Rows With 3 Leading Officials &ndash; AFP |publisher=Nasdaq.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> President Ahmadinejad accused the head of parliament of violating Iranian constitutional law. He called for legal action against the Parliament speaker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2008/april-2008/ahmadinejad-attacks-haddad-adel.shtml |title=Ahmadinejad Attacks Haddad Adel (Iran Press Service) |publisher=Iran Press Service |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=52720&sectionid=351020101 |title=Press TV &ndash; Haddad-Adel: Constitution not violated |publisher=Presstv.ir |date=2008-04-23 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Haddad-Adel responded to Ahmadinejad accusing him of using inappropriate language in his remarks and letters.<ref>{{Dead link|date=June 2009}}</ref>

===Ali Kordan's fabricated doctoral degree and moral charges===
{{Main|Ali Kordan}}
In August 2008, Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, appointed ] as Iran's interior minister. Kordan's appointment has been criticized by Iranian parliamentarians, media and analysts after it came to light that a doctoral degree allegedly awarded to Ali Kordan was fabricated, and that the putative issuer of the degree, ], had no record of Ali Kordan receiving any degree from the University.<ref name="oxfordstatement" >{{cite news
|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2008/080815.html
|title=Statement: Mr Ali Kordan
|date=2008-08-15
|accessdate=2008-08-17
|publisher=]
}}</ref>
It was also revealed that he had been jailed in 1978 for moral charges.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.roozonline.com/archives/2008/08/post_8726.php
|title= سوابق اخلاقي
|date=2008-08-14
|accessdate=2008-08-14
|publisher=]
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.peykeiran.com/iran_news_body.aspx?ID=52649
|title= تصویر سند بازداشت عوض علی کردان به اتهام ازاله بکارت
|language=Persian
|date=2008-08-18
|accessdate=2008-08-18
|publisher=]
}}</ref>
Fabrication of legal documents is punishable in Iranian law with one to three years of imprisonment and in the case of government officials, the maximum sentence (three years) is demanded.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}

In November 2008, President Ahmadinejad announced that he was against impeachment of Ali Kordan by Iranian parliament. He refused to attend the parliament on the impeachment day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=mideast&item=081104102917.yxb25ese.php |title=IC Publications |publisher=Africasia.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Ali Kordan was expelled from Iranian interior ministry by Iranian parliament on 4 November 2008. 188 MPs voted against Ali Kordan. An impeachment of Kordan would push Ahmadinejad close to having to submit his entire cabinet for review by parliament, which is led by one of his chief political opponents. Iran's constitution requires that step if more than half the cabinet ministers are replaced, and Ahmadinejad has replaced nine of 21.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/03/AR2008110301757.html?hpid=moreheadlines |title=Scandal, Fistfight Erupt Over Impeachment Move in Iran |publisher=washingtonpost.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7707963.stm |title=Middle East &#124; Iran minister sacked over forgery |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-11-04 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

===Ahmadinejad–parliament conflict===
On ] ] after ] reported that $1.058 billion of surplus ] in the (2006–2007) budget hasn't been returned by the government to the national treasury,<ref>
{{cite news
|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090207-700479.html?mod=
|title=Iran Missing More Than $1 Bln In Surplus Oil Revenue &ndash; Report
|author= Roshanak Taghavi
|authorlink=
|date=2009-02-07
|publisher=]
|accessdate=2009-02-23
}}</ref>
<ref name="international1">
{{cite news
|url=http://www.upi.com/Energy_Resources/2009/02/16/Iran_examines_missing_oil_revenue/UPI-25891234800966/
|title=Iran examines missing oil revenue
|author=
|authorlink=
|date=2009-02-16
|publisher=United Press International
|accessdate=2009-02-23
}}</ref> ] – ] speaker – called for further investigations in order to make sure the missing funds are returned to the treasury as soon as possible.<ref>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=84719&sectionid=351020102
|title=Iran looks into missing $1B oil money
|author=
|authorlink=
|date=2009-02-05
|publisher=]
|accessdate=2009-02-23
}}</ref> Ahmadinejad criticized the National Audit Office for what he called its "carelessness", saying the report "incites the people" against the government.<ref>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3346/html/economy.htm#s364827
|title=Oil Money Report Rejected
|author=
|authorlink=
|date=2009-02-21
|publisher=Iran newspaper
|accessdate=2009-02-23
}}</ref> The head of the parliament Energy Commission, Hamidreza Katouzian, reported: The government spent $5 billion to import fuel, about $2 billion more than the sum parliament had authorized. Katouzian quoted Iran's Oil Minister, Gholam-Hossein Nozari, as saying that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ordered the extra purchase.<ref>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=85792&sectionid=351020102
|title=Majlis searching for $1B missing oil money
|author=
|authorlink=
|date=2009-02-15
|publisher=]
|accessdate=2009-02-23
}}</ref><br />
On February 2009 parliamentary research centre report Iran faces a budget deficit of 44 billion dollars in the financial year starting in March.<ref>
{{cite news
|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090209/wl_mideast_afp/iraneconomybudget_20090209115359
|title=Iran faces $44 bln deficit
|author=
|authorlink=
|date=2009-02-09
|publisher=]
|accessdate=2009-02-23
}}</ref>

===2009 alleged complicity in conviction for "earthquake saferoom"===
Ahmadinejad was involved in a fraud in which he along with Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Mousa Mazloum in 2005 published an invention by Farzan Salimi, claiming it as their own. The idea for an "earthquake saferoom"—a design for a fortified room in homes in case of disaster was owned by Farzan Salimi, an Iranian researcher and engineer.<ref name=AP20090728>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hWwhfDRFoOdvTxSte5ak4cFKMAaQD99N04A81
|title=Court finds Iran minister guilty of fraud
|author= Ali Akbar Dareini, ]
|date=2009-07-28
|publisher=]
|accessdate=2009-08-01
}}</ref>

In July 2009, the general court of Tehran convicted Industry Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Mousa Mazloum but kept silent about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's involvement, according to Etemad-Melli daily.<ref name=AP20090728 /><ref name=TT20090727>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=199634
|title=Tehran court finds Iran minister guilty of fraud
|author= ]
|date=2009-07-27
|publisher=]
|accessdate=2009-08-01
}}</ref> According to the BBC, Ahmadinejad is named as an author on the cover of the book in which the fraudulent claim was made.<ref name=BBC20090728>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/07/090728_mg_mehrabian_court.shtml
|title=Minister of Industry guilty in 'Safe room' matter
|author= ]
|language=Persian
|date=2009-07-27
|publisher=]
|accessdate=2009-08-01
}}</ref>

===Criticism by Medical Doctors===
After the 2009 re-election of Mr. Ahmadinejad, a group of medical university professors, physicians and medical association members in Iran, in a public notice demanded laws for mandatory psychiatric evaluation of future candidates of important government positions, in order to prevent the repetition of "recent disasters".<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/08/090817_wkf-doctors-pressrelease.shtml</ref>

==Foreign relations==
===Relations with the United States===
{{See also|United States-Iran relations}}

During Ahmadinejad's presidency, Iran and the US have had the most high-profile contact in almost 30 years. Iran and the US froze diplomatic relations in 1980 and had no direct diplomatic contact until May 2007.<ref>Gollust, David. Voice of America. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

While the U.S has linked its support for a Palestinian state to acceptance of Israel's "]," Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has retorted that Israel should be moved to Europe instead,<ref name=afp20051208>{{cite news |publisher=] |date={{Date|2005-12-08|mdy}} |title=Iran's Ahmadinejad wants Israel moved to Europe |url=http://www.mywire.com/a/AFP/Irans-Ahmadinejad-wants-Israel-moved/1109382?extID=10051 |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> reiterating ]'s 1990 statement.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date={{Date|1990-10-04|mdy}} |title=Gadhafi: Move Israel to Europe |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9loPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3447,424692&dq=israel-should-be-moved-to-europe |work=] |page=A-2 |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> The U.S. has sent clear signals to Iran that its posturing against Israel's right to exist is unacceptable in their opinion, leading to increased speculation of a U.S. led attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Even though Iran has denied involvement in Iraq, then-President Bush warned of "consequences," sending a clear message to Iran that the U.S may take military action against it.<ref name=afp20051208/> The ] considered Iran to be the world's leading state supporter of terrorism. Iran has been on the ] since 1984,<ref>Armitage, Richard. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 01-12-2006.</ref><ref>Burns, R. Nicholas. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 01-12-2006.</ref><ref> U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 05-02-2007.</ref> a claim that Iran and Ahmadinejad have denied.

On 8 May 2006, Ahmadinejad sent a ] to then-] ] to propose "new ways" to end Iran's nuclear dispute.<ref> ]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> U.S. Secretary of State ] and National Security Adviser ] both reviewed the letter and dismissed it as a negotiating ploy and publicity stunt that did not address U.S. concerns about Iran's nuclear program.<ref name="WPLetter">Vick, Karl. The ]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> A few days later at a meeting in ], Ahmadinejad said, "the letter was an invitation to monotheism and justice, which are common to all divine prophets."<ref> Islamic Republic News Agency. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref>

Ahmadinejad invited Bush to a debate at the ] ], which was to take place on 19 September 2006. The debate was to be about Iran's right to enrich uranium. The invitation was promptly rejected by White House spokesman ], who said "There's not going to be a ] between the President and Ahmadinejad."<ref> ]. Retrieved 10-01-2007.</ref>
] students protesting against the university's decision to invite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the university campus.]]
On November 2006, Ahmadinejad wrote an open letter to the American people,<ref> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> representing some of his anxieties and concerns. He stated that there is an urgency to have a dialog because of the activities of the US administration in the Middle East, and that the US is concealing the truth about current realities.<ref> ]. Retrieved 29-11-2006.</ref>

The United States Senate passed a resolution warning Iran about attacks in Iraq. On 26 September 2007, the United States Senate passed a resolution 76–22 and labeled an arm of the Iranian military as a terrorist organization.

In September 2007 Ahmadinejad visited New York to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. Prior to this he gave a speech at ], where the university president Lee Bollinger <!--this is editorializing, until a citation can clear it up: — clearly stung by criticism for hosting Ahmadinejad — -->used his introduction to excoriate the Iranian leader as everything from a "cruel and petty dictator" to "astonishingly uneducated." Taking questions from Columbia faculty and students who attended his address, Ahmadinejad answered a query about the treatment of gays in Iran by saying: "We don't have homosexuals like in your country. We don't have that in our country. We don't have this phenomenon; I don't know who's told you we have it." An aide later claimed that he was misrepresented and was actually saying that "compared to American society, we don't have many homosexuals".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSBLA05294620071010 |title=President misquoted over gays in Iran: aide &#124; International &#124; Reuters |publisher=Reuters<! |date=2007-10-10 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

In a speech given in April 2008, Ahmadinejad described the ] as a "suspect event." He minimized the attacks by saying all that had happened was, "a building collapsed." He claimed that the death toll was never published, that the victims' names were never published, and that the attacks were used subsequently as pretext for the invasions of ] and Iraq.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7350830.stm |title=Ahmadinejad: 9/11 'suspect event' |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-04-16 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

In October 2008, President Ahmadinejad expressed his happiness of ] and what he called "collapse of liberalism". He said the West has been driven to deadend and that Iran was proud "to put an end to liberal economy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mathaba.net/news/?x=610339 |title=Iran mulling dynamic, progressive economy, prez |publisher=Mathaba.net |date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Ahmadinejad used a September 2008 speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations to assert the American empire is soon going to end without specifying how. "The American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders," Ahmadinejad said.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.un.org/ga/63/generaldebate/pdf/iran_en.pdf
|format=PDF| title = Statement by H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
| accessdate = 2008-10-31
| date = 23 September 2008
| publisher = ]
| pages = 8
| archiveurl =
| archivedate =
| quote = <small>'The American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders.'</small>
}}
</ref>

On November 6, 2008 (two days after the ]), ] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated ], the newly elected President of the United States, and said that he "Welcomes basic and fair changes in U.S. policies and conducts, I hope you will prefer real public interests and justice to the never-ending demands of a selfish minority and seize the opportunity to serve people so that you will be remembered with high esteem". It is the first congratulatory message to a new elected President of the United States by an Iranian President since the 1979 ].<ref>{{Dead link|date=June 2009}}</ref>

===Relations with Israel===
{{Main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel}}
{{See also|Iran–Israel relations}}
On 26 October 2005 Ahmadinejad gave a ] at a conference in Tehran entitled "World Without ]". According to widely published translations, he agreed with a statement he attributed to ] that the "occupying regime" had to be removed, and referred to it as a "disgraceful stain the Islamic world", that needed to be "wiped from the pages of history."<ref name = "WIPED">*. CNN. Accessed 27-09-2007.
*Fathi, Nazila. . New York Times. Accessed 17-10-2006.
*. ]. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref>

Ahmadinejad's comments were condemned by major ], the ], Russia, the ] and then ] ] ].<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4384024.stm
| title = Annan ‘dismayed’ by Iran remarks
| accessdate = 2006-10-29
| date = 28 October 2005
| publisher = BBC News
}}
</ref> ]ian, ] and ] leaders also expressed displeasure over Ahmadinejad's remark.<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4387206.stm
| title = UN raps Iran's anti-Israel rant
| accessdate = 2006-10-29
| date = 28 October 2005
| publisher = BBC News
}}
</ref> Canada's then ] ] said, “this threat to Israel's existence, this call for genocide coupled with Iran's obvious nuclear ambitions is a matter that the world cannot ignore.”<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.carolynbennettmp.ca/dev/downloads/2005-11-13_Prime-Minister-Martin-Addresses-Jewish-Leaders_Toronto.doc
| title = Prime Minister Martin Speaks Before Jewish Leaders in Toronto
| accessdate = 2006-10-29
| last = Martin
| first = Paul
| authorlink = Paul Martin
| date = 15 November 2005
| publisher = ]
}}
</ref>
<!-- <ref name="r31">{{cite web | title=European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood policy: Statement on recent declarations by the President of Iran | work=EUROPA | url=http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/696&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en | accessdate=16 November | accessyear=2005}}</ref> -->

The translation of his statement has been disputed. Iran's foreign minister stated that Ahmadinejad had been "misunderstood": "He is talking about the regime. We do not recognise legally this regime."<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C02%5C22%5Cstory_22-2-2006_pg4_15
| title = Ahmadinejad misunderstood, says Iran
| accessdate = 2007-09-07
| date = 22 February 2006
| publisher =
}}</ref> Some experts state that the phrase in question (بايد از صفحه روزگار محو شود) is more accurately translated as "eliminated" or "wiped off" or "wiped away" from "the page of time" or "the pages of history", rather than "wiped off the map".<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_steele/2006/06/post_155.html
| title = Lost in translation
| accessdate = 2006-12-11
| last = Steele
| first = Jonathan
| date = 14 June 2006
| publisher = Guardian
}}</ref> Reviewing the controversy over the translation, ] deputy foreign editor ] observed that "all official translations" of the comments, including the foreign ministry and president's office, "refer to wiping Israel away".<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/weekinreview/11bronner.html
| title = Just How Far Did They Go, Those Words Against Israel?
| accessdate = 2006-06-11
| last = Bronner
| first = Ethan
| date = 11 June 2006
| publisher = New York Times
}}</ref>
Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum, an Israel-based professor with ties to ], in a paper for the ], examined the language that President Ahmadinejad has used when discussing Israel. Using Farsi translations from Dr. ], a former lecturer in ] in the United Kingdom, Teitelbaum wrote that "the Iranian president was not just calling for “regime change” in Jerusalem, but rather the actual physical destruction of the State of Israel," and asserted that Ahmadinejad was advocating the genocide of its residents as well. Teitelbaum said that in a speech given on 26 October 2005, Ahmadinejad said the following about Israel: "Soon this stain of disgrace will be cleaned from the garment of the world of Islam, and this is attainable." Teitelbaum argued that this type of dehumanizing rhetoric is a documented prelude to genocide incitement. Dr. ], a professor of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan, has argued that Ahmadinejad was not calling for the destruction of Israel, “Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to wipe Israel off the map because no such idiom exists in Persian.” Dr. ], a professor of international affairs at Harvard University has said “I don’t think he is inciting to genocide."<ref>"What Iranian Leaders Really Say About Doing Away with Israel." Joshua Teitelbaum. (Jerusalem: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 2008). </ref> According to Gawdat Bahgat, Director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, "the fiery calls to destroy Israel are meant to mobilize domestic and regional constituencies" and that "Rhetoric aside, most analysts agree that the Islamic Republic and the Jewish state are not likely to engage in a military confrontation against each other."<ref> Nuclear Proliferation: The Islamic. Republic of Iran. G. AWDAT. B. AHGAT, Iranian Studies, volume 39, number 3, September 2006 </ref>

In July 2006, Ahmadinejad compared Israel's actions in the ] to ]'s actions during ] saying that "like Hitler, the ] is just looking for a pretext for launching military attacks" and "is now acting just like him."<ref>{{cite news |author=] |date={{Date|2006-07-16|mdy}} |title=Ahmadinejad compares Israel to Hitler |url=http://www.indiaenews.com/middle-east/20060716/15031.htm |publisher=] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> On 8 August 2006, he gave a television interview to ], a correspondent for ], in which he questioned American support of Israel's "murderous regime" and the moral grounds for Israel's invasion of Lebanon.<ref name=schorn20060813/> On 2 December 2006, Ahmadinejad met with Palestinian Prime Minister ] in ], ]. At that meeting, he said that Israel "was created to establish dominion of arrogant states over the region and to enable the enemy to penetrate the heart Muslim land." He called Israel a "threat" and said it was created to create tensions in and impose US and UK policies upon the region.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0612026937093956.htm
| title = President Ahmadinejad, Palestinian PM meet in Doha
| accessdate = 2006-12-11
| date = 2 December 2006
| publisher = ]
}}</ref> On 12 December 2006, Ahmadinejad addressed the ], and made comments about the future of Israel. He said, "Israel is about to crash. This is God's promise and the wish of all the world's nations."<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061212-072558-3819r
| title = Iran students rebel over Holocaust denial
| accessdate = 2006-12-20
| date = 12 December 2006
| publisher = ]
}}</ref>

When ]'s ] asked Ahmadinejad "does Israel remain Israel" in his version of the Middle East, Ahmadinejad suggested that throughout the Palestinian territories free elections for all be conducted under the supervision of international organizations. Ahmadinejad suggested that "..we must allow free elections to happen in Palestine under the supervision of the United Nations. And the Palestinian people, the displaced Palestinian people, or whoever considers Palestine its land, can participate in free elections. And then whatever happens as a result could happen."<ref name="KingInt" />

===Relations with Russia===
] ] in ] on 28 August 2008.]]
] ] in ] on 16 October 2007.]]
{{See also|Iran-Russia relations}}
Ahmadinejad has moved to strengthen relations with Russia, setting up an office expressly dedicated to the purpose in October 2005. He has worked with ] on the nuclear issue, and both Putin and Ahmadinejad have expressed a desire for more mutual cooperation on issues involving the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Ahmadinejad: Special Hq to be formed for Tehran-Moscow cooperation|publisher=]| url=http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0510268047185402.htm|accessdate=2006-04-14|date=26 October 2005}}</ref> More recently, Iran has been increasingly pushed into an alliance with Moscow due to the controversy over Iran's nuclear program. By late December 2007, Russia began to deliver enriched batches of nuclear fuel to Iran as a way of persuading Iran to end self-enrichment.

===Relations with Venezuela===
{{See also|Iran-Venezuela relations}}
Ahmadinejad has sought to develop ties with other world leaders that are also opposed to ] and influence like ] of ].<ref name="Venezuela strategy">Prada, Leandro. CNS News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Venezuela voted in favor of Iran's nuclear program before the ],<ref> Global Security. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> and both governments have sought to develop more bilateral trade.<ref> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> As of 2006, the ties between the two countries are strategic rather than economic;<ref name="Venezuela strategy"/> Venezuela is still not one of Iran's major trading partners.<ref> CIA. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

===Regional relations===
<!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->
Immediately after the ], Iran's relations with most of its neighbors, particularly those with large ] minorities, were severely strained.<ref name="Revolution">Abdel-Mageed, Dina . Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad's priority in the region has been to improve ties with most of Iran's neighbors in order to strengthen Iran's status and influence in both the Middle East and ].
<!-- Link now blocked by spamfilter <ref>. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>--><ref>. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

] has always been important in the region due to its ties to the West through ], ],<ref>Vest, Jason ]. Retrieved 26-01-2006.</ref> and its potential entry into the ]. Ahmadinejad visited ] to reinforce relations with Turkey immediately after the ] was released.<ref> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Relations were briefly strained after President ] had stated that he wants the atomic threat to be eliminated from the region, perhaps a hint to Iran;<ref>. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> however, business has remained cordial between the two countries.<ref name="cordial Turkey"> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Despite US disapproval, they signed a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline deal in late 2007.<ref name="cordial Turkey"/><ref> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

Iran's relations with the Arab states have been complex, partly due to the ]<ref name="Revolution"/> of decades ago, as well as more recent efforts by the United States to establish a united front against Iran over the ] and ].<ref> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad has sought reconciliation with the Arab states by encouraging bilateral trade and posturing for Iranian entry into the ].<ref>. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Outside the Persian Gulf, Ahmadinejad has sought to reestablish relations with other major Arab states, most notably ].<ref name="Iran and Egypt">. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> As of 2007, Iran did not have an open embassy there.<ref name="Iran and Egypt"/>

Iran's ] have been most notable in the West. Both nations have had to deal with international and regional isolation.<ref> Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Both have cordial ties to the militant group, ],<ref name="mock"> Associated Press. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> and concerns over Iran-Syria relations were further exacerbated following the ],<ref> Asia Times. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> which both Ahmadinejad and President ] claimed as a victory over Israel.<ref name="mock"/>

Ahmadinejad has also tried to develop stronger, more intimate ties with both Afghanistan and ], to ensure "regional stability."<ref name="Iran-Pak-Afgh"> IRNA. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> In particular, Ahmadinejad is interested in more bilateral talks between Iran and both Afghanistan and Pakistan.<ref name="Iran-Pak-Afgh"/> His administration has helped establish the "]" from Iran that will eventually fuel both Pakistan and India. In theory, the plan will help to ] ]n economies, and, thus to calm tensions between Pakistan and India.<ref>Shahid, Sohaib. Business and Finance Review. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

Ahmadinejad met foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov of ] to discuss increased cooperation between the two nations.<ref name="azeri"> Fars. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Mammadyarov also expressed desire to expand the North-South corridor between Iran and Azerbaijan and to launch cooperative projects for ] construction.<ref name="azeri"/> Iran has also redoubled efforts to forge ties with ]; during Ahmadinejad's visit in October 2007 the discussions were focused on developing energy ties between the two countries.<ref>Whitemore, Brian. Energy Publisher. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

====Afghanistan====
Due to the similar culture and language Iran has with ], the two countries have historically been close and, even though the US has a military presence in Afghanistan, President ] of Afghanistan maintains he wants Iran to be one of its closest allies.<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/07/america/07prexy.php
| title=Bush differs with Karzai on Iran
| author=Sheryl Gay Stolberg
| publisher=IHT (NYT World)
| date=2007-08-07
| accessdate=2009-01-19
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2003/10/mil-031012-irna01.htm
| title=Iran, Afghanistan stress expansion of ties
| publisher=IRNA
| date=2003-10-12
| accessdate=2009-01-19
}}</ref> At Camp David in August 2007, Karzai rejected the U.S. claim that Iran backs Afghan militants. Karzai described Iran as "a helper and a solution," and "a supporter of Afghanistan", both in "the fight against terror, and the fight against narcotics". He called relations between Afghanistan and Iran "very, very good, very, very close ".<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=c5d07911-605b-4a4a-becb-8768009974b3
| title=Karzai's Iran reference raises eyebrows at Camp David
| publisher=The Calgary Herald News Services
| date=2007-08-06
| accessdate=2009-01-19
}}</ref> Iran is also the largest regional donor to Afghanistan. ] television, considered by many Western sources as a more neutral Middle Eastern media network, said "Shiite Iran has close ethnic and religious ties with Afghanistan."<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/03/11/68237.html
| title=Iran Summit urges aid for Afghanistan and Gaza
| publisher=Al-Arabiya News Channel
| date=2009-03-11
| accessdate=2009-06-23
}}</ref>

====Iraq====
].]]
Ahmadinejad was the first Iranian president to visit ].<ref> ]. Retrieved 26-05-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad, in Baghdad 2 March 2008 for the start of a historic two-day trip, said that "visiting Iraq without the dictator ] is a good thing."<ref> CNN. Retrieved 03-02-2008.</ref> Heading home after a two-day visit to Iraq, Ahmadinejad again touted his country's closer relations with Iraq and reiterated his criticism of the United States.<ref> CNN. Retrieved 03-03-2008.</ref>

==Allegations of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism==
{{Main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel}}
===Controversies===
On 14 December 2005, Ahmadinejad made several controversial statements about the ], repeatedly referring to it as a "myth," as well as criticizing European laws against ]. According to a report from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Ahmadinejad said, referring to Europeans, "Today, they have created a myth in the name of Holocaust and consider it to be above God, religion and the prophets."<ref>{{cite news |title=Holocaust a myth, says Iranian president |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/dec/14/iran.secondworldwar |agency=Associated Press |work=Guardian.co.uk |date=2005-12-14 |accessdate=2008-10-21}}</ref> The quote has also translated as "They have created a myth today that they call the massacre of Jews and they consider it a principle above God, religions and the prophets."<ref> BBC, 14 December 2005</ref>

In a 30 May 2006 interview with '']'', Ahmadinejad insisted there were "two opinions" on the Holocaust. When asked if the Holocaust was a myth, he responded "I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it." He also said, "We are of the opinion that, if a historical occurrence conforms to the truth, this truth will be revealed all the more clearly if there is more research into it and more discussion about it". He then argued that "most" scholars who recognized the existence of the Holocaust are "politically motivated," stating that:

<blockquote>"...there are two opinions on this in Europe. One group of scholars or persons, most of them politically motivated, say the Holocaust occurred. Then there is the group of scholars who represent the opposite position and have therefore been imprisoned for the most part."<ref>. Retrieved 20-10-2008.</ref></blockquote>

In August 2006, the Iranian leader was reported to have again cast doubt on the existence of the Holocaust, this time in a letter to German Chancellor ], where he wrote that the Holocaust may have been invented by the Allied powers to embarrass Germany.<ref>{{cite news |first=ARESU |last=EQBALI |title=Ahmadinejad: Holocaust was made up |url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2006-08-28-ahmadinejad-holocaust-was-made-up |work=Mail and Guardian Online |date=2006-08-28 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref> During the same month, in a public speech that aired on the Iranian News Channel (IRINN), Ahmadinejad reportedly implied that Zionists may not be human beings, saying “They have no boundaries, limits, or taboos when it comes to killing human beings. Who are they? Where did they come from? Are they human beings? ‘They are like cattle, nay, more misguided.’”<ref>. Retrieved 10-6-2009.</ref>

On 11 December 2006 the "]" was held in Iran.<ref>. ]. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> The conference was called for by and held at the request of Ahmadinejad.<ref>"Iran: Holocaust Conference Soon in Tehran". Adnkronos International (AKI). Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> Western media widely condemned the conference and described it as a "Holocaust denial conference" or a "meeting of Holocaust deniers",<ref>*. ]. Accessed 11-12-2006.
*. ]. Accessed 11-12-2006.
*, ]. Accessed 11-12-2006.
* United Press International. Accessed 12-12-2006.
* ], ]. Accessed 17-12-2006.
*, The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 12 December 2006.</ref> though Iran maintained that it was not a ] conference, commenting the conference was meant to "create an opportunity for thinkers who cannot express their views freely in Europe about the Holocaust".<ref> Spiegel Online. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref>

In his September 2007 appearance at ], Ahmadinejad stated "I'm not saying that it didn't happen at all. This is not judgment that I'm passing here"<ref name="Ahmadinejad_Columbia"/> and that the Holocaust should be left open to debate and research like any other historical event.<ref> ]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>

At the 18 September 2009 ] ceremonies in Tehran, he stated that "the pretext for establishing the Zionist regime is a lie, a lie which relies on an unreliable claim, a mythical claim, (as) the occupation of Palestine has nothing to do with the Holocaust".<ref></ref> He also referred to the Holocaust as a sealed "black box" asking why western powers refuse permission for the claim to be "examined and surveyed". — what the '']'' considered "among his harshest statements on the topic,"<ref> September 18, 2009</ref> and one immediately condemned by the US, UK, French and German governments.<ref name="AFP20090918"></ref>

In response to some of Ahmadinejad's controversial statements and actions, a variety of sources, including the ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2008_record&page=S922&position=all |title="Condemning antisemitic Statements of the President of Iran" |publisher=Frwebgate.access.gpo.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> have accused Ahmadinejad of ]. Ahmadinejad's September 2008 speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he dwelled on what he described as Zionist control of international finance, was also denounced as "blatant anti-Semitism" by German Foreign Minister ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Germany: Ahmadinejad anti-Semitic |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/2110198 |work=onenews (New Zealand) |date=2008-09-27 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref>

] ] posed a direct challenge to Ahmadinejad during his June 2009 visit to ], saying that Ahmadinejad "should make his own visit" to the camp and that "his place is the ultimate rebuke to such thoughts, a reminder of our duty to confront those who would tell lies about our history".<ref> ]. Published June 07, 2009.</ref>

===Response to allegations===
Ahmadinejad has denied allegations of Holocaust denial<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/09/24/2007-09-24_irans_president_i_dont_deny_holocaust-3.html |title='&#39;New York Daily News'&#39;: "Iran's president: I don't deny Holocaust" |publisher=Nydailynews.com |date=2007-09-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> and acknowledged that it seems the West is right in its claim of the Holocaust:<blockquote>"If the Europeans are telling the truth in their claim that they have killed six million Jews in the Holocaust during the World War II &ndash; which seems they are right in their claim because they insist on it and arrest and imprison those who oppose it, why the Palestinian nation should pay for the crime. Why have they come to the very heart of the Islamic world and are committing crimes against the dear Palestine using their bombs, rockets, missiles and sanctions.<ref>{{cite web|author=John Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2005/iran-051214-irna02.htm |title='&#39;GlobalSecurity.org'&#39;: "Polling only solution to Palestine problem, President" |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |date=2006-04-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref></blockquote>

Ahmadinejad has said he respects Jews and that "in Palestine there are Muslims, Christians and Jews who live together". He added, "We love everyone in the world &ndash; Jews, Christians, Muslims, non-Muslims, non-Jews, non-Christians... We are against occupation, aggression, killings and displacing people &ndash; otherwise we have no problem with ordinary people."
<ref name = "MA_respect_Jews" /> Ahmadinejad has further said the Jewish community in Iran has its own independent member of parliament. Ahmadinejad has argued Zionists are "neither Jews nor Christians nor Muslims", and has asked "How can you possibly be religious and occupy the land of other people?"<ref name="KingInt" >{{cite web|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0809/23/lkl.01.html |title=CNN's Larry King Live: Transcript of Interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |publisher=Transcripts.cnn.com |date=2008-09-23 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

Shiraz Dossa, a professor at ], in ], ], argued in June 2007 that<blockquote>Ahmadinejad has not denied the Holocaust or proposed Israel’s liquidation; he has never done so in any of his speeches on the subject (all delivered in Farsi/Persian). As an Iran specialist, I can attest that both accusations are false... What Ahmadinejad has questioned is the mythologizing, the sacralization, of the Holocaust and the “Zionist regime’s” continued killing of Palestinians and Muslims. He has even raised doubts about the scale of the Holocaust. His rhetoric has been excessive and provocative. And he does not really care what we in the West think about Iran or Muslims; he does not kowtow to western or Israeli diktat.<ref name="Dossa1" >{{cite web|url=http://lrc.reviewcanada.ca/index.php?page=the-explanation-we-never-heard|title=Canadian The Explanation We Never Heard, Volume 15, Number 5|publisher=Literary Review of Canada|author=Shiraz Dossa|month=June | year=2007}}</ref></blockquote> Dossa was criticized in Canadian media, by university president Sean Riley, and by 105 professors<ref name="fued" >{{cite web|author=Joshua Mitnick |url=http://www.thestar.com/News/article/184492 |title='&#39;The Star'&#39;: Blood feud in Israel's religious academia |publisher=Thestar.com |date=2007-02-22 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> at his university for his attendance at Tehran's Holocaust conference.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/cover121506.htm |title='&#39;Canada Free Press'&#39;: Professor Shiraz Dossa known by the company he keeps |publisher=Canadafreepress.com |date=2006-12-15 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Dossa replied he did not know Holocaust deniers would be in attendance, that he has "never denied the Holocaust, only noted its propaganda power", and that the university should respect his academic freedom to participate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/05/28/dossa-essay.html |title='&#39;CBC'&#39;: Prof defends participation at controversial Tehran conference |publisher=Cbc.ca |date=2007-05-28 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref>

==See also==
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==References==
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===Further reading===
*{{cite book|author=] |title=The Crisis: the President, the Prophet, and the Shah&mdash;1979 and the Coming of Militant Islam|publisher=Little, Brown|year=2004}}
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==External links==
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Revision as of 23:30, 24 September 2009

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