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Iran crushes protests and prepares to cut all ties with Britain
Paul Thompson24.06.09
Iran could suspend all diplomatic relations with Britain as the Supreme Leader today ruled out any compromise with pro-reform supporters.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his government would not give into calls for a recount in the presidential election despite hundreds of thousands of Iranians taking to the streets.
The tough stance appeared to be leading the regime towards victory after a security crackdown succeeded in quelling street protests. The Supreme Leader said in a meeting with lawmakers today: “Neither the system nor the people will give in to pressures at any price.”
It came after foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the Islamic Republic was “studying” the option of cutting diplomatic relations with London after a cabinet meeting in Tehran.
Britain is effectively in a stand-off with the regime after the tit-for-tat expulsion of two Iranian diplomats from the UK in response to the expulsion of British envoys from Tehran.
The ruling clique of religious leaders, who over-rule president Mahmoud Ahaminejad, have also placed opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi under 24-hour armed guard.
Police raided offices of a newspaper owned by the pro-reform candidate and detained 25 editorial employees on Monday.
The arrests came as the newspaper, Kalemeh Sabz (Green Word), was planning to relaunch. Mr Mousavi has not been able to speak freely after his calls for an election recount led to a succession of street protests last week.
A conservative candidate in the election today said he was withdrawing his complaints about voting fraud for the sake of the country, according to state television.
The announcement by Mohsen Rezaie, a former commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, moved the government a step closer to a declaration of victory for president Ahmadinejad.
Ayatollah Khamenei has said that Ahmadinejad won fairly but the government appears to be moving in stages toward a final declaration, perhaps to avoid provoking a resurgence of protests by backers of Mr Mousavi.
The opposition was planning to hold another demonstration at a secret location today, but last night the authorities seemed to have gained the advantage as protest was limited to rooftop cries of defiance after nightfall in Tehran.
People described as protesters were paraded on State television, some blaming Western media influence.
A woman identified as Ozrasadat said: “I was affected by the news and reports of foreign media, but when I came to streets I saw something different. These media (Voice of America and BBC Persian) said that people were killed by security forces and Basij, but I witnessed that the rioters damaged public property.”
The authenticity of the broadcasts, shown by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, has been questioned by opposition groups.
A man called Mohsen is shown saying: “I was affected by a false atmosphere created by foreign media. Through my friends and satellite channels, mainly BBC, I was informed about gatherings. This channel started to agitate people after the elections and told them what to do on the streets. I saw none of these things but witnessed with my eyes the falsehood of news and reports by foreign channels.”
Barack Obama was today awaiting a response from Iran to his outspoken condemnation of the election violence that has gripped the country.
Having declared the US “appalled and outraged” by the crushing of protesters, White House officials are expecting further accusations of interference.
Reader views (25)
HAHAHA ! Moe, you sound live a right wee fascist! You say - "I have a good mind to publish your comments in a national press and arrange for you to be interviewed by a journalist." I'll bet you'd have him shipped off for "interrogation" too if you could. Are you joking when you say the USA aren't pro Israel (and anti Palestinian not to mention muslim). I'm a white anglo-saxon protestant tory and even I can see that!! I think you should cancel your subscription to Fox News.
- Danny, Glasgow
I suppose Obama had to say what he did to appease the Zionists who run his country. It looks now as if he has taken on the role that Bush adopted over the worlds trouble makers, the terrorist state of Israel. Iran happens to be the whipping boy just now.
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK. I am outraged at your stupid comments and wish you could explain further - what do you mean by the worlds trouble makers. Can you name the Zionists who run the USA ? I have a good mind to publish your comments in a national press and arrange for you to be interviewed by a journalist.
But perhaps you are too ignorant and bigoted so intelligent people will not waste their time on you. Examine your prejudices with your therapist.
- Moe, London UK
its the iron fist in the iron glove.
- Dhan Raj, basildon
Wake up earth it is reported, perhaps you are not reading widely enough. There is wide concern but outrage no, because we are at war in Afghanistan trying to stabilise the country from another bunch of nutbags. Drones ar controversial but at times useful - dont forget we have our men on the front line sacrificing their lives. Wake up, wake Up Earth.
- Dave, Madrid
LETS JUST BOMB THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY!!! waaaay to go..........
- Kedge, wilts, england
iran makes 150mn dollars and more just sitting idly and pumping out oil.its this money that they use for all nefarious activities. more than cutting ties, UK should stop using iranian oil. thats a better way to show theese mullahs the power of western civilization. its unearned money thats fuelling all the trouble.
- Sanjith Menon, bangalore, india
Every month US drones in Pakistan kill hundreds of innocent people. Why is this not reported in western media? Why is there no outrage? Are these innocent people not humans?
- Wake Up, Earth
Adam, Harrow, would strongly suggest you get your head out of the sand! Iran has got by without the west for the past few decades, I am sure it will also be able to do so for the next few.I think a major part of the problem is the demography of the country, inasmuch as the elderly, and, people located in the rural areas are very pro Amadinejad, and, young city dwellers are not. I would say that this adds up to future internal strife in the country, but having said that, if the young city dwellers want, and, expect democracy, they must abide by the majority view, which I am sure is in Amadinejads favour at this moment!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
Oh no Iran is cutting all ties with us... boo hooo! Whatever will we do.
Breaking news just in... the Ayatollah is barking mad and smells!
- Jj, London
President Bush was right when he said that Iran was part of the axis of evil.
I bet President Obama thinks the same but is just waiting for the right moment to say so.
How strange these barberians (President Reagans words)have not blamed Israel for their problems.
- David Nigel Braham, Milan Italy
Break off all ties with the UK !!! that is OK by me and I hope that IRAN Air will not be coming into land at Heathrow for the forseeable future. Anyone with an Iranian passport stamp should also be denied entry as well. It may well be sensible to include the Lebanon and Syria in this blanket coverage and tha includes passport stamps. We do not want any of you in our country.
- Nick Holland, glasgow
"good to see they are cutting ties with us!!.We should cut ties with all these barbaric countries and worry about our own people and country!!!,what do they do for us anyway?."
Sit on some of the world's largest oil reserves?
- Michael, London
The regime has been forced to cut wages and drive down living standards for the very people who were it's supporters in the past, therefore I don't think it is still as popular as it was. The trade unions in Iran are beginning to move, and the ruling elites are trembling about tht. They desperately need to defuse the situation before it ignites. Who knows where it will end? JUSTICE FOR IRANIAN WORKERS AND PEASANTS.
- Sue R, London
good to see they are cutting ties with us!!.We should cut ties with all these barbaric countries and worry about our own people and country!!!,what do they do for us anyway?.
- Andy, london
Thomas Hayes. You have been awarded the prize for the most racist and outrageous post on these boards. The situation in Iran has absolutely nothing to do with Israel. What proof do you have that anyone other than Americans are running America.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
Iran has more to lose in this than the UK. Iran needs access to the UK market more than vice versa and many Iranian academics work in the UK, there are lots of Iranian students in British university.
This will do much more harm to Iran. The Ayatollahs have lost the plot.
- Danny, London
Iran has shown its true colours to the world, it does not believe in democracy, it is now a dictatorship, why bother having elections in Iran when they dont mean a thing, as the results are fiddled anyway to justify that they have a peoples mandate to do what they do, but everyone knows they dont, its all just propaganda.
- Kuldip, London, UK
geeeee Iran's riot police makes the G20 police look like pussy cats
- London Eye, london
I suppose Obama had to say what he did to appease the Zionists who run his country. It looks now as if he has taken on the role that Bush adopted over the worlds trouble makers, the terrorist state of Israel. Iran happens to be the whipping boy just now.
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
30 years ago millions of Iranians poured on to the streets of Tehran to celebrate the fall of the Shah and the arrival of the Islamic revolution.
In view of recent events, a classic case of beware of what you wish for don't you think ?
- Stu, Milton Keynes
What you are viewing here in the images presented is sick public torture, perpetrated by a brutal regime stuck in the middle ages. Behind the camera are many heavily armed men ready to make these people 'disappear' if they do not say the right thing.
The thing is I am not sure who they are trying convince, is the country that stuck in the past that people will believe the propaganda? Perhaps poor education means yes?
It doesn't matter what the UK, the US or anyone else says or does, the vile corrupt and dangerous political system including the "Supreme Leader" will quite happily murder their own people to stay in power. That is what religious megalomania is all about. Islam, like all religions, is about control and manipulation but Islam is the most brutal. Iran holds public executions, stonings, hangings and they execute children. Christian converts are also executed.
Iran is a vile country with a vile political system.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
"First, we hear President Obama doesn´t want to get involved, now he is voicing his outrage. Will the President please make up his mind?"
To be fair to Obama, he's in an impossible position, and I actually think his hands-off approach was the more sensible one, given the US's abysmal track record when it comes to Iran.
But you can't remain neutral when people are being murdered by the government in the wake of a decidedly dodgy-looking election - though it's worth noting that Ahmadinejad has a genuine popular following that, even if it's not at the landslide levels implied by the election result, is certainly massively ahead of Gordon Brown's!
- Michael, London
Graham, "not getting involved" and "voicing outrage" are not mutually exclusive concepts...you can do both, which is what Mr Obama has done, he has voiced opposition without "meddling" ...
really, everyones a critic aren't they.
- Daveb, london
Graham - read the article again as you've clearly missed the point.E.g "the main reason President Obama has not spoken out before was his fear that demonstrators will be portrayed as American stooges and further deteriorate the tense relationship between the two countries". It's really not a difficult political situation to understand.
- Andrew, St. John's Wood, London
First, we hear President Obama doesn´t want to get involved, now he is voicing his outrage. Will the President please make up his mind?
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands
