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Ahmadinejad in his Youth

Greeting admirers

Deemed as religiously conservative, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the 6th elected leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Having earned approximately 62% of the ballot, he was voted into office on August 3, 2005 as a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Society of Engineers political party.

Based on his academic record, it is evident that Ahmadinejad has a long and illustrious list of credentials. He has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) in civil engineering. During his pursuit to complete his master’s degree, he joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and later received his Ph.D in traffic and transportation engineering and planning. His military record also proves him to be an experienced soldier and leader. Ahmadinejad was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq War in 1986. He later went on to become the head engineer of the sixth army for the IRGC. Ahmadinejad also served as a civil engineer and a professor at the IUST.

Despite his long list of credentials and experience, Ahmadinejad was surprisingly one of the most unheard of politicians during his term as mayor as well as during his presidential election. His term as mayor of Tehran began from May 3rd, 2003 and lasted until June 28, 2005 when he resigned his position to Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf.

Presidential Campaign Platform

“ It’s possible and we can do it!” was deemed Ahmadinejad’s slogan throughout his campaign. During his campaign, he paralleled himself to Mohammad Ali Rajai, the second president of Iran who was a strong advocate for the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Despite his typical promises to ensure safety, security and the alleviation of poverty for all, Ahmadinejad surprised the world by becoming the only Iranian presidential candidate who had spoke out against future relations with the United States in his platform. He decries the United States for what he cites as anti-Islamic sentiment.

Acceptance into the Presidential Office

Ahmadinejad was officially designated as the president of Iran once he had received the approval of the supreme religious leader in Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei. During a celebratory ceremony, he even kissed Ayatollah Khamenei’s hand and then became the second president in Iranian history to do so after Mohammad Ali Rajai. To finalize his ceremonial acceptance, Ahmadinejad took vows before religious gatherings called Majlis wherein he swore to protect Iran, the Iranian constitution, and the official religion of Iran which is Shia’a Islam.

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