Iran stands at a crossroads between the opposition movement and the Islamic regime, which has cracked down on protesters who dispute the election results that gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term. Some analysts say that Iran's former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani could play a key role in resolving the political crisis. Rafsanjani supported opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi's bid to unseat Ahmadinejad -- but has been largely silent since the results of the June 12 ...

Iran's political crisis would end pretty quickly if the opposition went toe-to-toe with the security forces — and no matter how courageous and determined the demonstrators, the likelihood of them toppling the regime on the streets right now is pretty remote. Although at least 30 and perhaps ...

A photo showing Iranian clerics prominently participating in an anti-government protest speaks volumes about the new face of Iran's opposition movement. In a blatant act of defiance, a group of Mullahs took to the streets of Tehran, to protest election results that returned incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. Whether these clerics voted for Ahmadinejad or one of the opposition candidates is unknown. What is important here, is the decision to march against the will of Iran's supreme leader who ...

Iran's Guardian Council has ruled out the possibility of nullifying the results of the country's disputed presidential election, saying irregularities were reported before the balloting -- not during or after. The announcement, reported by Iran's government-funded Press TV on Tuesday, was another in a series of inconsistent stances by the council on how to handle the unrest stemming from the disputed June 12 race. "If a major breach occurs in an election, the Guardian Council may annul the votes that ...

To the triumvirate Iranians blame for the disputed election result and ensuing violence — Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Supreme Leader Ali Khameni and their henchmen, the Basij militia — Iranians have added an unlikely candidate: state media. The wrath of many Iranians toward the state's all-powerful organ of propaganda, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting , known in Iran as seda va sima, has been mounting over the past two weeks. It reached a fever pitch this weekend, as state television ...

Iran's ruling system is "going to the slaughterhouse" because of the national outrage over last week's fraudulent presidential election, the Facebook page of Iran's top opposition presidential candidate quoted him Saturday as saying. The post, attributed to Mir Hossein Moussavi, reasserted his call for a new election to be overseen by an independent council. The authenticity of the message could not be established. It was posted in Farsi and translated by CNN. The post was responding to Iran's supreme leader ...

For those of us who lived through the Iranian revolution, which toppled the government of the Shah and paved the way for the creation of the Islamic republic in 1979, there is a dreamlike familiarity to the massive riots roiling the streets of Tehran. I remember the seemingly spontaneous rallies that brought the country to a screeching halt. The young, fearless protesters daring the security forces to make them martyrs in the cause of freedom. The late-night call-and-response of ...

Iran's supreme leader delivered an impassioned defense of the Islamic Republic on Friday, insisting a majority of Iranians had faith in the existing establishment and issuing a "religious ultimatum" to protesters to end days of street demonstrations triggered by last week's presidential election. Addressing a large crowd at Tehran University, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the historic voter turnout of 85 percent legitimized the Islamic system and had been a clear demonstration of the Iranian people's trust in the regime. He ...

Iran's supreme leader passionately defended last week's presidential election process Friday, praising President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election as a "definitive victory" and sloughing off charges of vote-rigging. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed a crowd at Tehran University in a sermon during Friday prayers. His speech was greatly anticipated amid massive protests from supporters of opposition leaders such as Mir Hossein Moussavi, who disputed the government's assertion that Ahmadinejad won in a landslide. While Khamenei called on those who don't believe the ...

Scrutiny turns to Iran's supreme leader on Friday, when he will deliver a sermon to a nation that has been swept up in several days of post-election protests. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is to speak at mid-day Friday during prayers at Tehran University. That's according to the Basij militia, a voluntary paramilitary force that takes orders from the government. Khamenei's speech will be scrutinized for signs of how the government plans to resolve a political stalemate that ensued after Iran's hardline ...