At Least 13 Dead in Iran Crackdown

(NEWSER) - This could be a mess for a while: Iran's official count today gave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a landslide victory in the presidential election, but his main challenger rejected the results as a "dangerous charade" and warned of "tyranny," reports the Guardian. The official numbers: Ahmadinejad gets 62.6% and Mir Hossein Mousavi 33.4% after a staggering turnout of 84%. The challenger appealed to the nation's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to intervene, and the AP notes that his supporters have clashed with police in Tehran. More»

Green Revolution muted as protests called off

(AP) - A year to the day after mass protests erupted over election fraud, Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed that Iran's opposition would "continue our peaceful methods"—but the so-called Green Revolution whose momentum threatened to topple the presidency of Mahmoud Ahamdinejad appeared muted. A mass protest planned for today was canceled amid fears of violence and the government's forceful crackdown appeared to be working. More»

In-law stays despite pro-Israel comments

(NEWSER) - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has defied a direct order from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to dismiss his vice president, opening a rift between Iran's president and supreme leader, reports the Los Angeles Times. Ahmadinejad's newly chosen VP, who is his son's father-in-law, has infuriated hardliners by making favorable remarks about Israel. But Ahmadinejad surprised the Iranian elite by keeping him in office, saying, "He is very loyal to the Islamic Revolution and a servant of people." More»

(NEWSER) - Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former Iranian president and most powerful supporter of Mir Hossein Mousavi, addressed thousands of young reformists in green today in a highly anticipated sermon that may trigger further protests. The visibly upset cleric demanded that all political prisoners be freed and lamented that "we had the chance to become the best, but we let it slip." Mousavi supporters interrupted Rafsanjani with shouts of "Freedom, freedom!" and some young reformists were tear-gassed, reports al-Jazeera. More»

Witness describe chaos at a protest near Tehran mosque

(AP) - Riot police clashed with up to 3,000 protesters near a mosque in north Tehran today, using tear gas and truncheons to break up Iran's first post-election demonstration in 5 days. Witnesses told the AP that some protesters fought back, chanting: "Where is my vote?" They said others described scenes of brutality—including the alleged police beating of an elderly woman—in the clashes around the Ghoba Mosque. More»