( CNN ) -- Americans know Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his belligerence toward the United States and Israel and for clashes with international regulators over Iran 's pursuit of nuclear technology . President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's foreign policy has affected Iran 's domestic economy . The conservative Ahmadinejad , 52 , the former mayor of Tehran , was elected president in a landslide in June 2005 , defeating centrist Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani . A tighter race is expected in this Friday 's presidential contest , which pits Ahmadinejad against self-described reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi and two other candidates . Ahmadinejad is expected by many to be re-elected . `` He 's pretty charming . He 's a little bullheaded , but he 's definitely got his charms and charisma in a strange sort of way , '' said Hooman Majd , an Iranian-American writer who travels to Iran several times a year . Ahmadinejad and his wife , Parvin , have three children . Rumors that he was among the revolutionaries who held hostages at the American Embassy in Tehran from 1979 to 1981 have never been confirmed . `` He 's an interesting man , '' Majd said . `` He 's very smart . There 's no question about that . '' Watch the intensity of the campaign » . A few months after taking office , Ahmadinejad stated during a speech at the World Without Zionism conference in Tehran that `` Israel must be wiped off the map . '' In another speech two months later , he referred to the Holocaust as `` a myth '' started by Europeans . Last week at the site of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany , President Obama did n't mention Ahmadinejad by name but denounced `` those who insist that the Holocaust never happened -- a denial of fact and truth that is baseless and ignorant and hateful . '' Ahmadinejad , the son of a blacksmith and holder of a doctorate in transportation engineering , enjoys strong support among the lower classes and in smaller cities , where he has liberally disbursed government money , said Mehdi Khalaji , a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy . He also appeals to poorly educated people who are most influenced by religious hard-liners , Khalaji said . `` Honestly , we 've never seen anyone as courageous as Ahmadinejad , '' one man said at a Tehran rally this week . `` He is a true son of the Revolution , '' said another . The president 's revolutionary fervor is genuine , Majd said , and it is his political bread and butter . `` There are people who support that , who like the idea of Iran maintaining that revolutionary zeal and being that revolutionary state , '' Majd said . However , even some of Ahmadinejad 's supporters acknowledge that voters may be looking for a change . `` Most of the people voting for Moussavi are doing it just to get rid of Ahmadinejad , '' one woman in Tehran said . Watch what some of the key issues are » . Many want Iran to have better relations with the West , relations that have been strained by Ahmadinejad 's remarks about Israel and his refusal to submit to inspections of nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency . That stance has led to isolation from the West , hampering foreign investment and limiting Iran 's economic growth , a sore point with many voters . `` There 's a sort of overwhelming support now for an opening up of the country to the international community and some access to the free-market economy because , frankly , Iran 's own economy is on the verge of utter collapse , '' said Reza Aslan , an analyst for DailyBeast.com and author of the book `` No God But God , '' an analysis of Islam in politics and culture . Majd , who has translated for Ahmadinejad at the United Nations and who spent four of the last six weeks in Tehran , agreed . `` A less belligerent foreign policy , a slight , strategic alteration of the foreign policy , is going to bode well for Iran . That 's how a lot of voters are viewing it , '' he said . The success or failure of Obama 's diplomatic overtures toward Iran could hinge on Friday 's election , Aslan said . `` Let 's be frank . The Obama administration is going to open up to Iran regardless of who wins this election , '' Aslan said . `` But it would certainly be a lot easier , not to mention more politically palatable in the United States , if it were n't Ahmadinejad . '' CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour contributed to this report .
Iran 's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad known for hostility toward Iran , Israel . Incumbent in tight race to win second the last six weeks term as president . Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has defied Islam over inspections of nuclear facilities . Some voters think less belligerent foreign policy would help economy , writer says .