His government has rejected international calls to halt uranium enrichment, ignored UN-imposed deadlines, armed Iraqi militias, supplied Hezbollah with weapons for attacks on Israel, denied the Holocaust, and staged military exercises near the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40% of the world’s sea-traded oil passes. All these provocations add upward pressure on oil prices, enriching the Iranian government.
内贾德在挑起外交冲突上很有一套。他的政府拒绝国际社会要求它中止铀浓缩活动的呼吁，无视联合国要求的最后期限，武装伊拉克的民兵组织，提供武器给真主党与以色列进行战争，否认二战期间纳粹对犹太人的大屠杀，以及在霍尔姆兹海峡附近进行军事演习，世界上40%通过海上进行运输的石油需要从那里经过。所有这些挑衅使得油价持续上涨，从而肥了伊朗政府的腰包。