A hard-line religious conservative, former Tehran mayor Ahmadinejad won the presidency in 2005 by styling himself as a populist champion of the little guy against a corrupt Establishment and as a nationalist who flexes Iran's muscle on the world stage. The most provocative Iranian figure since the early years of the Islamic Republic, he has openly called for the elimination of Israel, questioned the Holocaust and boasted about Iran's disputed nuclear program. He's close to the powerful, shadowy political factions and security organizations behind Iran's Supreme Leader.
— Scott Macleod