Confronting the "oil mafia" was one of the many promises that Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad made to voters in his 2005 presidential campaign.

It was a message that resonated with the electorate. Many Iranians believe central governments in Iran, whether before or after the 1979 Islamic revolution, have failed to use the country's oil wealth for the benefit of the masses, in some cases siphoning it instead for personal gains.