Keep up fight, opposition leader tells Iran protesters

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The pro-reform candidate called on supporters to keep protesting despite a security crackdown, and blamed the authorities for the bloodshed.

Mr Mousavi broke several days of silence to make the appeal through his website after being placed under armed guard and seeing the staff on his newspaper arrested.

He said on the site: "I am pressured to abandon my demand for the vote annulment. A major rigging has happened. I am prepared to prove that those behind the rigging are responsible for the bloodshed. Continuation of legal and calm protests will guarantee achieving our goals."

It came as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad personally attacked President Barack Obama in defiance of US and European criticism of Iran's violent repression of dissent.

The hardliner warned America not to "interfere in Iran" and attempted to undercut Mr Obama's popularity in Iran and the wider Muslim world by saying he was no different from his predecessor.

Mr Ahmadinejad said on state media: "Why has Mr Obama, who advocates change, been trapped and follows the same path as Bush?"

The Foreign Office today confirmed journalist Jason Fowden, who holds joint British and Greek nationality, has been arrested in Iran.

Fowden, who was working for the Washington Times, was detained for "underground" activities as he attempted to leave the country.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that they understood that Greek officials were providing consular assistance. "We stand ready to help if needed," the spokeswoman added.

Downing Street said the British ambassador in Tehran, Simon Gass, had been in contact with his Greek counterpart about Fowden's case.

There have also been indications of other Britons being arrested, some of whom may have dual British-Iranian nationality.

Thousands of riot police and militia brutally put down a demonstration by a few hundred protesters outside the parliament building in Tehran yesterday. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted that the government would not yield to the opposition.