Iran Police Clash With 3K Protesters

(NEWSER) - Iran's supreme leader addressed the nation on TV tonight to criticize anti-government protesters and appeal for calm, the Guardian reports. Those stirring up trouble are simply “tension seekers,” said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Rival protests again filled the streets of Tehran, though no more deaths were reported. Khamenei has promised at least a partial recount, though he also referred to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the “elected president.” 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»

Government cracks down on communications, arrests reformists

(NEWSER) - Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are planning more rallies today, despite an appeal for calm by the country's supreme religious leader. Iran has banned international journalists from the protests after Monday's violence at a Mousavi demonstration, where seven people died. But state television, which showed rallies in Ahmadinejad's favor, is being allowed to operate. Reporters in the country working for international news outlets are not being allowed to leave their offices or hotel rooms, reports CNN. More»

Khamenei accedes to Mousavi's request for vote fraud investigation

(NEWSER) - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a probe into Iran's allegedly rigged presidential election, reports CNN. The country's supreme leader has already endorsed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's supposed victory as "a divine miracle," but Khamenei today requested that a clerical body investigate Mir Hossein Mousavi's claims of widespread fraud. The ayatollah's reversal comes amid continued reports that opposition figures are being arrested. More»

(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»