Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (<a href="/facts/Birth_name/FctFJcbg">né</a> Sabbaghian; 28 October 1956) is an Iranian politician who served as the sixth <a href="/facts/President_of_Iran/A8SwUjJQ">president of Iran</a> from 2005 to 2013. Ideologically a <a href="/facts/Iranian_principlists/pTyQqaqa">principlist</a> and <a href="/facts/Iranian_nationalism/WRvFhXpH">nationalist</a>, he is currently a member of the <a href="/facts/Expediency_Discernment_Council/V2dfX6wV">Expediency Discernment Council</a> and a strong supporter of <a href="/facts/Iran%2527s_nuclear_programme/NFCJJy84">Iran's nuclear programme</a>. He was also the main political leader of the <a href="/facts/Alliance_of_Builders_of_Islamic_Iran/W6qc1zUm">Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran</a>, a coalition of conservative political groups in the country, and served as <a href="/facts/Mayor_of_Tehran/Gghe3lc0">mayor of Tehran</a> from 2003 to 2005, reversing many of his predecessor's reforms.
An engineer and teacher from a poor background, he was ideologically shaped by thinkers such as <a href="/facts/Navvab_Safavi/5NuIb1Al">Navvab Safavi</a>, <a href="/facts/Jalal_Al-e-Ahmad/BsCMlMHA">Jalal Al-e-Ahmad</a>, and <a href="/facts/Ahmad_Fardid/XNk1sj80">Ahmad Fardid</a>. After the <a href="/facts/Iranian_Revolution/frTYhJ0F">Iranian Revolution</a>, Ahmadinejad joined the <a href="/facts/Office_for_Strengthening_Unity/A0xveMWk">Office for Strengthening Unity</a>. Appointed a provincial governor in 1993, he was replaced along with all other provincial governors in 1997 after the election of President <a href="/facts/Mohammad_Khatami/DVzhTQXB">Mohammad Khatami</a> and returned to teaching. <a href="/facts/Tehran/S8dmdwyG">Tehran</a>'s council elected him mayor in 2003. He took a religious hard line, reversing reforms of previous moderate mayors. His 2005 presidential campaign, supported by the <a href="/facts/Alliance_of_Builders_of_Islamic_Iran/W6qc1zUm">Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran</a>, garnered 62% of the <a href="/facts/Runoff_election/2sFF4NBG">runoff election</a> votes, and he became president on 3 August 2005.
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad was a controversial figure both in <a href="/facts/Iran/24yukge8">Iran</a> and worldwide. He was criticized domestically for his economic policies, and was accused of disregard for <a href="/facts/Human_rights/WMW5XCdM">human rights</a> by organizations in North America and Europe. Outside of Iran, he was criticized for his hostility towards countries including <a href="/facts/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad_and_Israel/CFeJLAlS">Israel</a>, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States and other <a href="/facts/Western_world/UQl4e7du">Western</a> and <a href="/facts/Arab_world/F8Jouq98">Arab</a> states. In 2007, Ahmadinejad introduced a <a href="/facts/2007_Gasoline_Rationing_Plan_in_Iran/GvqvBJMf">gasoline rationing plan</a> to reduce the country's fuel consumption and cut the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge. He supports <a href="/facts/Iran_nuclear_program/NFCJJy84">Iran's nuclear program</a>. His <a href="/facts/2009_Iran_presidential_election/62cCh9hy">election to a second term in 2009</a> was widely disputed, and led to widespread <a href="/facts/2009_Iranian_presidential_election_protests/Ep9fnEoG">protests domestically</a> and criticism from Western countries.
During his second term, Ahmadinejad experienced a power struggle with reformers and other traditionalists in Parliament and the <a href="/facts/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guard_Corps/6EMxlKlm">Revolutionary Guard</a>, as well as with Supreme Leader <a href="/facts/Ali_Khamenei/NcL1YHPS">Ali Khamenei</a>, over his dismissal of intelligence minister <a href="/facts/Gholam-Hossein_Mohseni-Eje%2527i/67tHJHeP">Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i</a> and his support for his controversial close adviser, <a href="/facts/Esfandiar_Rahim_Mashaei/9S2MPMk1">Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei</a>. On 14 March 2012, Ahmadinejad became the first president of the Islamic Republic of Iran to be summoned by the <a href="/facts/Islamic_Consultative_Assembly/VP5D5mdJ">Islamic Consultative Assembly</a> (parliament) to answer questions regarding his presidency. Limited to two terms under the current <a href="/facts/Iranian_constitution/EzYgBsgF">Iranian constitution</a>, Ahmadinejad supported Mashaei's campaign for president. In 2013, <a href="/facts/Hassan_Rouhani/UBpGIJIL">Hassan Rouhani</a> was <a href="/facts/2013_Iranian_presidential_election/9DRdB97x">elected</a> as Ahmadinejad's successor.
On 12 April 2017, Ahmadinejad announced that he intended to run for a third term in the <a href="/facts/2017_Iranian_presidential_election/exe1M5Ku">2017 presidential election</a>, against the objections of Supreme Leader Khamenei. His nomination was rejected by the <a href="/facts/Guardian_Council/UNpIy6nE">Guardian Council</a>. During the <a href="/facts/2017%25E2%2580%259318_Iranian_protests/kmmhSYhz">2017–18 Iranian protests</a>, Ahmadinejad criticized the current government of Iran. He made a second attempt at registering to run for the <a href="/facts/2021_Iranian_presidential_election/UrepqNfu">2021 presidential election</a>, and was rejected again by the Guardian Council. He registered as a candidate in the <a href="/facts/2024_Iranian_presidential_election/wYho80EM">2024 Iranian presidential election</a>, but was subsequently rejected.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad open-in-new

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad