'Ten killed' in Iran"

At least 10 people were killed when police clashed with "terrorists" in Tehran on Saturday, state TV says.

The official reports, which cannot be confirmed, accuse "rioters" of setting two petrol stations and a mosque ablaze in protest at a disputed poll result.

State media also say five family members of one of Iran's most powerful figures, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, were arrested during the protests.

Meanwhile Iran has ordered the BBC's Jon Leyne out of the country.

"With regret, we can confirm that Jon Leyne, the BBC's permanent correspondent in Tehran has been asked to leave by the Iranian authorities. The BBC office remains open," a BBC statement said.

Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV said on Sunday its Tehran office, which was closed by the Iranian authorities a week ago, had been ordered to stay shut indefinitely for "unfair reporting" of the 19 June election.

The protests were sparked by disputed presidential elections, but have since escalated into Iran's most serious internal conflict since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has demanded an end to protest.

Witnesses said there did not appear to be any opposition gatherings or demonstrations on Sunday, according to the AFP news agency.

Reports of Saturday's violence cannot be verified as foreign media in Iran are being severely restricted.

In other developments:

Iran's most senior dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri calls for three days of national mourning for those killed in street protests, Reuters news agency reports
Former pro-reform President Mohammad Khatami calls for the release of detained activists
Iran police chief Gen Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghaddam warns any further unrest will be confronted "decisively"
Iranian officials again attack the UK for "interfering".
High-level arrests

The state TV report said 10 people had been killed and more than 100 wounded in clashes between police and "terrorist groups" in Tehran. Apart from the petrol stations, it said "rioters" had also attacked a military post.

Early reports said an unspecified number of people had died when "rioters" set a mosque on fire, but revised reports later said there had been no deaths at the mosque. A correction was also issued reducing the overall death toll to 10 from 13.

The BBC's Jeremy Bowen, in Tehran, says the reports could serve as a warning to Iranians that if they take part in further protests they risk getting embroiled in violence, or being identified as a "terrorist".

Mr Rafsanjani's daughter, Faezeh - who addressed supporters of protest leader and defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi on Tuesday - was among the Rafsanjani family members arrested on Saturday.

It is not clear whether they have since been released.

The arrests suggest the political dispute is fracturing the heart of the Iranian leadership, our correspondent says.

Mr Rafsanjani - an opponent of President Ahmadinejad - has maintained a public silence over recent days, but it is certain that he is active behind the scenes, our correspondent adds.

Late into night

Witness accounts on Saturday suggested police used live rounds, batons, tear gas and water cannon to break up demonstrations which went on late into the night.

By making hasty comments, you will not have a place in the circle of the Iranian nation's friends

President Ahmadinejad
Among unconfirmed material posted on the internet after Saturday's protests, a brief graphic video clip appearing to show a teenage girl dying from a wound, has fuelled anti-government feelings.

The girl, who has been called Neda, had been protesting with her father in Tehran when she was shot by pro-government Basij militia, according to one blogger.

Critics of the June presidential poll - which gave President Ahmadinejad a resounding 63% of votes, compared with 34% for Mr Mousavi, his nearest rival - say there is evidence of widespread vote-rigging.

In a statement on his website, Mr Mousavi accused authorities of cheating the Iranian people out of a rightful election result, reports said.

'Govern through consent'

The Iranian leadership has repeatedly accused foreign powers of interfering in Iran's domestic affairs, with the UK the particular focus of ire.

On Sunday President Ahmadinejad again highlighted alleged interference by the UK and US.

"By making hasty comments, you will not have a place in the circle of the Iranian nation's friends. Therefore, I recommend you to correct your interfering positions," he said in a statement on his website.

But UK Foreign Minister David Milliband said he rejected "categorically the idea that the protesters in Iran are manipulated or motivated by foreign countries".

In other reported developments, state TV said members of the exiled opposition group Mujahideen Khalq Organisation (MKO) had been arrested for "terrorist activities". The report said they had been burning buses and smashing public property - and had been taking orders from their operation room in the UK.



from the BBC