Quote Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost
This summary, from a source that you might find reliable, has an excellent summary of the political conditions just before Ahmadinejad came to power, and the opportunties that may lie ahead should we choose to engage more constructively.

EDIT: Trawling my library, I found the book I was going to recommend: Hidden Iran: Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic by Ray Takeyh. It has quite an interesting analysis of the Ahmadinejad years and the US relationship, as well as a deconstruction of the political factions. Worth a read.

This is a useful diagram showing how the Iranian power structures interface. The personnel named are out of date, but the complexity is well illustrated.
The first two suggestions are longer projects. The diagram & explication are a wonderful precis. Thanks a lot Banquo.