Iran's supreme leader has issued a warning against any attempts to
destabilize the country, after reformists called for a referendum on
the government's legitimacy in the wake of the disputed presidential
election.
In a speech to officials Monday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the
country's elite should avoid making comments that can, in his words,
help Iran's enemies. He also lashed out against the West for allegedly
meddling in Iran's affairs.
Defeated presidential challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi issued a statement
saying it is an insult to Iran's voters to suggest that opposition
protesters are linked to foreign nations.
Earlier, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called for a
nationwide referendum on the government, in a bid to end Iran's
post-election crisis.
And, just days ago, another former Iranian president, cleric Akbar
Hashemi Rafsanjani, said many Iranians still have doubts about the June
12 vote.
The opposition maintains that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second-term victory was rigged. Authorities deny the charge.
An ally of Mr. Ahmadinejad's, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi Mahmoud, said
Mr. Rafsanjani's sermon at last Friday's prayers in Tehran was intended
to provoke more opposition protests.
Meanwhile, First Vice-President Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie has denied reports of his resignation.
Iran's state-run English-language Press TV network reported that Mashaie stepped down.
Mashaie has received fierce criticism from conservatives because he has
stated that Iran is a friend of all people in the world, including
Israelis.
Leading conservative Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami called on
Mr. Ahmadinejad to reconsider Mashaie's appointment, saying it defies
the president's constituency.