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Iran's supreme leader calls for calm

(Xinhua/Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-19 16:49

TEHRAN: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the Iranian nation needs calm and patience on Friday, as the country has been hit by massive rallies against the "frauds" in Iran's recent presidential election.

Khamenei made the remarks at the Friday prayers congregation on Tehran University campus, which was broadcast live on state television.

Khamenei said Friday that all four candidates in the recent presidential election belonged to Iran's Islamic establishment and the dispute was an internal issue.

He said no rift among senior officials, only differences of opinion.

Khamenei said his opinion on foreign and domestic policy closer to Ahmadinejad than other officials more.

He praised Iranians for taking part in the election and called it a "a magnificent show of responsibility of the people to determine the fate of their own country."

Khamenei said Iran's enemies were targeting the Islamic establishment by questioning the authenticity of this month's election.

"The enemies (of Iran) are targeting the Islamic establishment's legitimacy by questioning the election and its authenticity before and after (the vote)," Khamenei said.

He said 11 million-vote margin shows no fraud in Iran's election.

Khamenei condemned what he said was interference by "some foreign powers" in this month's election in the country.

"After street protests, some foreign powers ... started to interfere in Iran's state matters by questioning the result of the vote. They do not know the Iranian nation. I strongly condemn such interference," Khamenei said.

"American officials' remarks about human rights and limitations on people are not acceptable because they have no idea about human rights after what they have done in Afghanistan and Iran and other parts of the world. We do not need advice over human rights from them," he added.

Among the throngs of people crowded into the hall to see him speak was Ahmadinejad. It was not known whether Ahmadinejad's main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi attended as well.

Press TV, an English-language version of Iranian state television, showed television pictures of the crowded hall where Khamenei was speaking as the crowd and thousands of people assembled outside cheered.

After the June 12 elections, Khamenei approved the balloting results as a "divine assessment" and urged the Iranian people to pursue their allegations of election "fraud" within the limits of the cleric-led system.