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Supporters of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi running past burning debris during riots in Teheran on Saturday. Protests against the re-election of hardline leader Ahmadinejad turned into street violence over the weekend, and the unrest is said to be the sharpest expression of discontent against Iran's leadership for years. -- PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->TEHERAN: Hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday defended his hotly-disputed re-election, as the authorities launched a crackdown on their opponents and fresh violence erupted between security forces and reformist protesters.
Supporters of the President also took to the streets as the main opposition candidate called for Friday's election result to be annulled amid allegations of vote-rigging.
Mr Ahmadinejad, who staged a victory rally yesterday, claimed the election had been 'clean and healthy' and dismissed opponents' complaints as sour grapes.
'They may be upset by their failure,' he told reporters.
'They spent a lot of money to make propaganda and expected to win, so it is natural they are disappointed.'
He dismissed the unrest - the worst in a decade in Teheran - as 'not important', likening it to the pent-up emotions released after a soccer match.
But second-place candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has rejected Mr Ahmadinejad's victory as a 'dangerous charade' that would 'jeopardise the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny'.
He said yesterday that he had lodged an appeal with the powerful Guardians Council to seek the cancellation of the vote. He also called on his supporters to continue their protests peacefully.
Yesterday, anti-Ahmadinejad protesters in central Teheran set fires, smashed store fronts and the windows of city buses in a second day of violence. Angry crowds also turned up outside universities, chanting 'death to the dictator' and hurling stones at riot policemen.
At the same time, the authorities were rounding up the alleged leaders of Saturday night's violent protests and blocking phone text messages, social networking sites and opposition websites, in an apparent bid to prevent reformists organising fresh demonstrations.
Iran's deputy police chief Ahmad Reza Radan said yesterday that about 170 people have been arrested for their involvement in Saturday's protests.
They were said to have included Mr Mohammad Reza Khatami, the brother of former president Mohammad Khatami, and members of Iran's biggest reformist party, Mosharekat.
At a massive rally attended by thousands yesterday, Mr Ahmadinejad waved and smiled at the flag-waving partisans thronging the capital's Vali-e-Asr square to applaud the victory he won by a surprising 63 per cent of the vote to Mr Mousavi's 32 per cent.
The Iranian leader also used his victory speech to signal no nuclear policy change in his second term.
He consigned the disputes over its nuclear programme to the past, and warned that any country that attacked his own would regret it. 'Who dares to attack Iran? Who even dares to think about it?' he said.
Iran's refusal to halt nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at making bombs has sparked talk of possible United States or Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites, although US President Barack Obama has recently urged Iran 'to unclench its fist' for a new start in relations.
The 27-nation European Union said yesterday that it was 'concerned about alleged irregularities' during Friday's vote, while the Obama administration said it is watching developments 'including reports of irregularities'.
Interior Ministry officials have dismissed accusations of fraud and Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top authority, has called on Iranians to back their President.
But the unrest that has rocked Teheran and several other cities since official results were declared on Saturday is the sharpest expression of discontent against Iran's leadership for years.
And a senior Western diplomat in Teheran said that while he believed the authorities would soon subdue the street unrest, Mr Ahmadinejad's re-election battle had exposed a polarising power struggle between radicals and moderate conservatives which could affect the Islamic Republic's long-term stability.
'There is turbulence in the whole system,' he said. REUTERS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Ahmadinejad defends re-election as violence continues in Teheran </TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
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Supporters of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi running past burning debris during riots in Teheran on Saturday. Protests against the re-election of hardline leader Ahmadinejad turned into street violence over the weekend, and the unrest is said to be the sharpest expression of discontent against Iran's leadership for years. -- PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->TEHERAN: Hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday defended his hotly-disputed re-election, as the authorities launched a crackdown on their opponents and fresh violence erupted between security forces and reformist protesters.
Supporters of the President also took to the streets as the main opposition candidate called for Friday's election result to be annulled amid allegations of vote-rigging.
Mr Ahmadinejad, who staged a victory rally yesterday, claimed the election had been 'clean and healthy' and dismissed opponents' complaints as sour grapes.
'They may be upset by their failure,' he told reporters.
'They spent a lot of money to make propaganda and expected to win, so it is natural they are disappointed.'
He dismissed the unrest - the worst in a decade in Teheran - as 'not important', likening it to the pent-up emotions released after a soccer match.
But second-place candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has rejected Mr Ahmadinejad's victory as a 'dangerous charade' that would 'jeopardise the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny'.
He said yesterday that he had lodged an appeal with the powerful Guardians Council to seek the cancellation of the vote. He also called on his supporters to continue their protests peacefully.
Yesterday, anti-Ahmadinejad protesters in central Teheran set fires, smashed store fronts and the windows of city buses in a second day of violence. Angry crowds also turned up outside universities, chanting 'death to the dictator' and hurling stones at riot policemen.
At the same time, the authorities were rounding up the alleged leaders of Saturday night's violent protests and blocking phone text messages, social networking sites and opposition websites, in an apparent bid to prevent reformists organising fresh demonstrations.
Iran's deputy police chief Ahmad Reza Radan said yesterday that about 170 people have been arrested for their involvement in Saturday's protests.
They were said to have included Mr Mohammad Reza Khatami, the brother of former president Mohammad Khatami, and members of Iran's biggest reformist party, Mosharekat.
At a massive rally attended by thousands yesterday, Mr Ahmadinejad waved and smiled at the flag-waving partisans thronging the capital's Vali-e-Asr square to applaud the victory he won by a surprising 63 per cent of the vote to Mr Mousavi's 32 per cent.
The Iranian leader also used his victory speech to signal no nuclear policy change in his second term.
He consigned the disputes over its nuclear programme to the past, and warned that any country that attacked his own would regret it. 'Who dares to attack Iran? Who even dares to think about it?' he said.
Iran's refusal to halt nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at making bombs has sparked talk of possible United States or Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites, although US President Barack Obama has recently urged Iran 'to unclench its fist' for a new start in relations.
The 27-nation European Union said yesterday that it was 'concerned about alleged irregularities' during Friday's vote, while the Obama administration said it is watching developments 'including reports of irregularities'.
Interior Ministry officials have dismissed accusations of fraud and Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top authority, has called on Iranians to back their President.
But the unrest that has rocked Teheran and several other cities since official results were declared on Saturday is the sharpest expression of discontent against Iran's leadership for years.
And a senior Western diplomat in Teheran said that while he believed the authorities would soon subdue the street unrest, Mr Ahmadinejad's re-election battle had exposed a polarising power struggle between radicals and moderate conservatives which could affect the Islamic Republic's long-term stability.
'There is turbulence in the whole system,' he said. REUTERS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG
