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“What complicates the world’s handling of Iran’s nuclear ambitions is that its hard-line president welcomes his country’s deepening isolation. Mr. Ahmadinejad’s election was a rebuke to a ruling establishment whom he accused of corruption and complacency. These populist appeals, along with his incendiary speeches, have irritated the elders of the revolution and spawned subtle attempts to curb his influence. To fend off his rivals and buttress his power, Ahmadinejad would like nothing better than a clash with the ‘Great Satan’ that would rally nationalist passions and discredit his more moderate foes.”
