Report: 1 killed in Tehran suicide bombing
Iranian news agency reporting explosion at shrine for Ayatollah Khomeini as supporters of reformist candidate Mousavi clash with police in central Tehran. Still unclear if Mousavi himself will make an appearance
The semi-official Iranian news agency Fars is reporting at least one person killed after a suspected suicide bomber detonated himself near the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran. Iran's opposition leader received another stern warning Saturday not to encourage his supporters to take to the streets a day after the country's top leader sought to end the deepening election crisis by effectively declaring President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner.
But supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi went ahead with their planned protest in Tehran on Saturday, in open defiance of Iran's clerical government. Witnesses said police beat protesters and fired tear gas and water cannons at thousands who rallied. The eyewitnesses described fierce clashes near Revolution Square in central Tehran after some 3,000 protesters chanted "Death to the dictator!" and "Death to dictatorship!" Police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
It is unclear if Mousavi himself will attend the rally after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered an end to the protests or else "bloodshed and chaos" were to come.
Mousavi's supporters set on fire a building in southern Tehran used by backers of Ahmadinejad, a witness said. The witness also said police shot into the air to disperse rival supporters in Tehran's south Karegar street.
A top Iran police official, Ahmad Reza Radan, warned Mousavi Saturday that if people take to the streets, "their leaders will be arrested."
Mousavi supporters in Tehran (Photo: AFP)
Iran's Interior Ministry also reiterated the warning to Mousavi on Saturday, saying he would "be held responsible for the consequences of any illegal gatherings." The ministry also accused the 67-year-old former prime minister of supporting protests that "have lead to the disruption of security and public order," State Security Council secretary, Abbas Mohtaj, said in a statement on the ministry's Web site.
The warnings place Mousavi at a pivotal moment. He can either back down or risk a crushing response from police and the forces at Khamenei's disposal — the powerful Revolutionary Guard and their volunteer citizen militia, the basij. One of Mousavi's Web site's said he planned to issue a statement "soon." It did not elaborate.
There also are questions about Mousavi's ability to control his own followers, many who are waiting for a clear response to Khamenei's edict.
Mousavi, who accuses the government of widespread voter fraud in the June 12 election, and the two other candidates who ran against Ahmadinejad were slated to meet with Iran's Guardian Council on Saturday. The council, an unelected body of 12 clerics and Islamic law experts close to Khamenei, investigates voter fraud claims.
But state-run Press TV said Mousavi did not attend.
Candidate Mahdi Karroubi did attend the meeting and reiterated his calls to have the election results annulled. In an announcement published on his website, Karroubi said "From today, I will take part in all protest".
Meanwhile, state television said the council announced it is ready to recount a random 10% of the votes in last week's disputed presidential election. "Although the Guardian Council is not legally obliged ... we are ready to recount 10% of the (ballot) boxes randomly in the presence of representatives of the three (defeated) candidates," a council spokesman said.
