There were exciting developments in the political situation in Iran yesterday after eight-day protests by the opposition on the result of the presidential election, which was won by President Ahmadinejad for a second term in office. After the government and the opposition escalated the situation, the situation now is: Who will surrender first to put an end to the raging crisis? Meanwhile the police carried out threats to suppress any demonstration by force. Some 2000 supporters of the defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi gathered in defiance of the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's call for stopping protests.
Eyewitnesses reported that the Iranian police beat the demonstrators and tried to prevent them from reaching Tehran's university campus. The police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the demonstrators. A large number of Basij Militia gathered in the capital for the first time since the start of the protests. The militia was seen carrying cudgels and Kalashnikov machine guns. It made checkpoints on the main roads in anticipation of more demonstrations.
This came after a senior security official warned Mousavi against calling for any "illegal" demonstrations, stressing that he would firmly deal with any protest and detain its organizers. Mousavi's supporters said the authorities prevent him from communicating with the demonstrators or delivering a speech during the demonstration, which was rejected by the security services. On her website, Mousavi's wife confirmed that the demonstration will be staged. At the same time, a group of clerics belonging to the body organizing the protests said a protest by Mehdi Karoubi, another defeated candidate, was cancelled after the authorities discarded it.
On the other hand, the Guardian Council, Iran's top legislative body, said it is ready to recount 10% of votes at random. Although they called on the Council to hold a meeting, both Mousavi and Karoubi did not attend. At the same time, the Iranian Fars news agency reported that a bomb exploded near the shrine of Imam Khomeini, killing a person and injuring others.
In Washington, Congress, including the Senate and House of Representatives, approved a resolution condemning the suppression of the demonstrators and supporting the Iranians who "believe in the values of freedom and human rights."
