Top Clerics Defy Ayatollah Over Iran Election

(AP) - Iran's government threatened harsh action today if opposition supporters take to the streets again to demand a new election in open defiance of the country's supreme leader. Web sites run by supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi called for street protests, but the candidate himself issued no public statement. It was not clear if Mousavi has the power to halt street demonstrations even if he orders his supporters to stay inside. The government appeared to be preparing for a confrontation. 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»

(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»

(NEWSER) - Just days after Iran's supreme leader tried to dial down the nation's tensions, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ratcheted them right back up again, reports the Los Angeles Times. In a charged speech today in Tehran, the country's president for the first time called for the prosecution of opposition leaders. He didn't name names, but he clearly wants Mir-Hussein Mousavi and others punished for fomenting unrest after his disputed election win. 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»