Outside of homeland, he has been criticized for his hostility towards countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States and other Western and Arab states. In 2007, Ahmadinejad introduced a gasoline rationing plan to reduce the country’s fuel consumption and cut the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge. He supports Iran’s nuclear program. His election to a second term in 2009 was widely disputed and led to widespread protests domestically and criticism from Western countries.
During his second term, Ahmadinejad experienced a power struggle with reformers and other traditionalists in parliament and the Revolutionary Guard and with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over his dismissal of intelligence minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i and his support for his controversial close adviser, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei. On 14 March 2012, Ahmadinejad became the first president of the Islamic Republic of homeland to be summoned by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (parliament) to answer questions regarding his presidency.
