Iran's Supreme Leader unleashes threat of militias against election protesters

Ayatollah Khamenei gave strong backing to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was controversially declared the winner of last week's presidential election and made clear further dissent would be crushed. "I am urging them to end street protests, otherwise they will be responsible for its consequences, and consequences of any chaos," he told worshippers at Tehran University. "The result of the election comes out of the ballot box, not from the street.

"If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible."

Ayatollah Khamenei denounced Britain as the "most treacherous" foreign power working for the overthrow of his regime, a declaration that prompted the Foreign Office to summon the Iranian ambassador in London for a rebuke. The British ambassador in Tehran has faced mounting criticism from the regime, which regularly incites mobs to attack the UK embassy.

The Supreme Leader said the electoral contest was "over". Drawing cheers of "God is Great", he said the Basij militia, or religious vanguard force, would be mobilised against the demonstrators.

In a clear endorsement of the incumbent president, the Supreme Leader said that his own views were closest to Mr Ahmadinejad's vision for Iran.

In a long sermon at Friday prayers at Tehran University, he declared the election outcome was a vindication of the Islamic Republic.

He said that on the basis of an 85 per cent turnout, the vote was an earthquake for the country's enemies. "If the people did not trust in the system they would not participate in it," he said. "Iran's enemies are targeting the beliefs and trust of the people."

He declared that Iran was a functioning democracy, a message he said he wanted to send to Western countries "which are leaders of the media".

He said: "These divisions come from the Zionist radio and the bad British radio trying to change the meaning of the election."

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For more on the official Iranian regime's stance of blaming the ills of Islam on Zionist enemies see: Taliban defectors: US, Israel funding militants