Iran:The Protests Continue Despite The Crack Down.

Photo: Ayatollah Khomeini Shrine.


At least one person has been killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini.

An Iranian police representative stated : " A terrorist detonated his explosive vest in the Ayatollah Khomeini shrine causing damage in one section of it."

Some protesters feel that the suicide attack was orchestrated by the government.

Today, the police used tear gas & water cannons against thousands of protesters in an attempt to block access to Revolution Square in Tehran. A protester said:" Now it is tear gas, I am sure it won't take them long to start using other kind of ammunition."

Mousavi declined to meet the Guardian Council, Iran highest legislative body, concerning the voting irregularities. The Council would have only be willing to do a partial sample recount representing not even 10% of the votes. Mousavi posted a message on his web site, today, requesting a re-run of the election.

Despite the crack down, it seems that the protests will continue. A sign of this came in the form of protesters screaming " Death to the dictator" from Tehran's roof tops at dawn today.

This is increasingly turning into a challenge of the Supreme Leader's autocratic authority and not only an opposition to Ahmadinejad.

Mousavi keeps his supporters informed by posting news updates on his web site. To read the updates click on the title of this post.

Iran Turmoil: Ayatollah Khamenei Threats Of Crack Down.

During his address to the Iranian people, last night, Iran Supreme Leader did not strike a tone of conciliation despite his call for " peace & tranquility".

As matter of fact, he was threatening in part of his speech. He said that the protests should stop immediately, and that the demonstrators would be held responsible for potential chaos and violence.

Despite numerous evidence of the contrary he claimed that the election were completely legitimate.

Mousavi called off any protest yesterday, but asked his supporters to protest again on Saturday.

In the power struggle seizing Iran, right now, the military and the Revolutionary Guard could end up playing the deciding role. As the Supreme Leader, Khamenei is the army commander in chief. His complete support for Ahmadinejad will tie his destiny to the one of Iran's current president.

Another problem facing Khamenei is his current rift with Ayatollah Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani heads the " Assembly of Experts ", the only Iranian legal body able to challenge the authority of the Supreme Leader.

By choosing not to compromise, Khamenei could jeopardize the very foundation of the theocracy.

Before the election, the reformists groups were talking about a velvet revolution.

Let just hope that the regime has the intelligence to compromise despite Khamenei's tone last night, and that the sea of green of Mousavi's supporters does not turn into a river of blood.

To read the coverage of AFP click on the post title.

Last Update: 6/19/2009 @ 11:30 AM ( PST)
PersianKiwi just reported, via Twitter, that the " situation is now critical, and the Revolutionary Guard has been mobilized". Stay tuned.

Mousavi And Up to 100 Reformers Arrested. Many People Hurt In Riots By Police

Mousavi And Up to 100 Reformers Arrested. Many People Hurt In Riots By Police


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