Mousavi: I'm 'Ready for Martyrdom'

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»

Banned for life for wristbands showing Mousavi support

(NEWSER) - Iran has barred four of its national soccer players from the field for life after they wore green wristbands during a match last week in apparent support of opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, an Iranian pro-government newspaper said. Six players wore the bands; most took them off at halftime, the Guardian notes. More»

(NEWSER) - Iran's official Guardian Council has declared absolutely that the nation's controversial presidential election will stand, reports CNN. "If a major breach occurs in an election, the Guardian Council may annul the votes," said a spokesman. "Fortunately, we found no witness of major fraud or breach in the election. Therefore, there is no possibility of an annulment taking place." More»

'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.