Crisis & Conflict Management
The impact of Iran’s attack on Israel
The victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran’s June 24, 2005 presidential election runoff against former President Hashemi Rafsanjani shocked many Iranians and outsiders. Ahmadinejad’s reputation as a conservative has aroused fears that his presidency will see a crackdown on political and social freedoms and possibly a new round of confrontation with the outside world. Saban Center fellow Shaul Bakhash and Iranian political analyst Hadi Semati, currently at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, discussed the election and its likely consequences for domestic and foreign policy.
