Ayatollah Won't Overturn Ahmadinejad's Victory

'Zionists' and BBC are exploiting protests, Khamenei says

(NEWSER) - The supreme leader of Iran called for "peace and tranquility" in his first public speech since the contested presidential election, Al Jazeera reports. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defended the legitimacy of the vote and told protesters to stop, notes the New York Times. "Street challenge is not acceptable," he said, adding that opposition leaders would be "held responsible for chaos." He blamed "Zionists, evil media" for trying to exploit divisions. More»

Could we see a new revolution—or the next Tiananmen?

(NEWSER) - Iran’s election aftermath seems to have come as a surprise to its key figures. With protesters showing no sign of relenting, Tony Karon of Time offers four possible conclusions:

• A repeat of the 1979 revolution. But that’s unlikely, because “an unarmed popular movement can only topple an authoritarian regime if the security forces switch sides or stay neutral”—not the case here.

Possible forgery showing 'actual results' inflames protesters

(NEWSER) - Among the propaganda coming from all sides in the Iranian election dispute, one letter stands out: a note from the interior minister to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, giving the "true" result of last Friday's vote. The letter acknowledges the Supreme Leader's "order" for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to win but shows Mir Hossein Mousavi winning, with a total that would have set up a runoff against fellow reformer Mehdi Karroubi. Real or fake, the document is circulating widely, the Independent reports. More»

(NEWSER) - As his adversaries faced a mass court hearing condemned as a show trial, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was formally endorsed today for a second term as president of Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei conducted the ceremony, which Mir Hossein Mousavi and other opposition figures boycotted. The endorsement came after state television screened courtroom confessions by two prominent reformists, who said they had "changed" since their arrest. They added that they had not been tortured, as supporters alleged. More»

(NEWSER) - Iranian police beat demonstrators gathered in a Tehran cemetery to mourn victims of post-election violence, including Neda Agha-Soltan—the 26-year-old whose killing was witnessed by hundreds of thousands on YouTube. A witness told Reuters that some mourners were arrested. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi defied threats from the Revolutionary Guards and tried to attend the ceremony, but he was forced back into his car minutes after arriving. More»