[Telegraph-UK] David Blair - The first stirrings are now visible of political change which could hasten Ahmadinejad's departure and dramatically change Iran's direction. The president is best known abroad for denying the Holocaust and threatening to wipe Israel "from the pages of history." Iranians, however, associate him with hardship and repression. At a time when high oil prices should be causing an economic boom, inflation has risen to about 40%, hitting the living standards of millions. A country with 130 billion barrels of proven oil reserves has imposed petrol rationing. "Ahmadinejad is the first president in the history of the Islamic Republic to lose his popularity so quickly," said Mohammed Atrianfar, a leading reformist politician. Ahmadinejad's bellicose foreign policy has bolstered his popularity across the Muslim world - but not inside Iran. At home, he stands accused of playing into America's hands by making it easier for Washington to marshal a coalition against Iran.
2007-08-09 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive