The Middle East has two new leaders, in Iran and Saudi Arabia. The new president of Iran is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The conservative former mayor of Tehran will be fifty years old next year. Iranians elected him in June by a wide majority. On Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmed him in office.
Mister Ahmadinejad said he will serve the nation honestly and work to help poor people. And he called for an end to the threat from chemical and biological weapons in the hands of major world powers.
The United States and the European Union want Iran to permanently halt nuclear work that could be used for bombs. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful use for energy.
