TEHRAN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Iranian officials have
lashed out at some Western countries, particularly Britain and the United
States, over their "interference" in Iran's election affairs as the country has
been hit by post-vote unrest.
In his speech to foreign diplomats in Tehran on
Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was "highly critical of some
Western countries, specifically France, Germany, Britain and the U.S., for their
inappropriate, illogical and interfering words."
File photo shows that Iran's Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki talks to the media during a news conference in
Havana April 30, 2009. He criticizes some Western countries, specifically
France, Germany, Britain and the U.S., for their inappropriate, illogical
and interfering words in his speech to foreign diplomats in Tehran Sunday.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
Mottaki
also pointed out "an inflooding of British intelligence officials ahead of the
election" into Iran, the English-language satellite channel Press TV reported.
The Iranian Foreign Minister insisted that Iran's
election process and the whole observing structure make the possibility of any
irregularities or vote rigging "close to zero."
Mottaki also criticized some foreign media outlets
and television channels for beating "the drums of war" in their reports of
Iran's post-election disputes.
The correspondent for the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) in Iran, Jon Leyne, has been ordered to leave the country
within 24 hours, Iran's Fars news agency reported Sunday.
Leyne was expelled under the charges of, among other
things, making fabricated news reports and supporting rioters, Fars said.
Iranian riot police guard the streets in
Tehran, capital of Iran on June 20, 2009. Iran's Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki criticizes some Western countries for their
inappropriate, illogical and interfering words in his speech to foreign
diplomats in Tehran Sundy.(Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
His expulsion came one day after Iran accused Voice
of America (VOA) and the BBC of stirring up unrest in the country amid a dispute
over the recent presidential election.
The two news outlets sought to stir up ethnic discord
across Iran in the hope of fomenting the country's disintegration, Press TV
quoted Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi as saying on Saturday.
"The channels act as command posts engineering the
ongoing post-election riots," Qashqavi said.
Since disputes broke out after Iran's June 12
presidential election, the Western governments have been demanding Iran to allow
peaceful protests and ensure a fair result.
On June 13, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli
announced Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total ballots on June 12, while
his main rival Mir-Hossein Mousavi got 33.75 percent.
After the official declaration, Mousavi protested
"strongly" the "obvious" violations in Iran's presidential election. He also
appealed to the Guardian Council for a cancellation of the election result.
Mousavi's supporters have participated in massive
rallies in Tehran and other cities over the past days.
Iranian riot police guard the streets in
Tehran, capital of Iran on June 20, 2009. Iran's Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki criticizes some Western countries for their
inappropriate, illogical and interfering words in his speech to foreign
diplomats in Tehran Sundy.(Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
On Saturday, Iran's police used tear gas and water
cannons to disperse demonstrators at a main square of Tehran in the latest
violent clash between protestors and security forces.
Press TV reported on Sunday that thirteen people were
killed in clashes between Iranian police and "terrorist groups" on Saturday as
unrest hit Tehran amid disputes over the recent presidential election.
Press TV said "rioters" set two gas stations on fire
and attacked a military post.
However, Iran's state television said Sunday that 10
people were killed and more than 100 others were wounded during the unrest in
Tehran on Saturday.
A mosque was also set on fire, but nobody was killed
in the incident.
The official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday that
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has urged the United States and Britain to
stop intervening in its domestic affairs as the country has been hit by
post-election unrest.
Addressing a group of clerics on Saturday evening,
Ahmadinejad "urged Western states, particularly the United States and Britain,
to change their policies of intervening in Iran's domestic affairs," IRNA said.
"Condemning interference of certain foreign states in
Iran's domestic affairs, the president reiterated that the Iranian nation would
not consider such governments as its own friends," IRNA reported.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on
Friday accused some Western countries and media of trying to create political
rift and social chaos in Iran by discrediting the "victorious"
election.
TEHRAN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad has urged the United States and Britain to stop intervening in its
domestic affairs as the country has been hit by post-election unrest, the
official IRNA news agency reported Sunday.
Addressing a group of clerics on Saturday evening,
Ahmadinejad "urged Western states, particularly the United States and Britain,
to change their policies of intervening in Iran's domestic affairs," IRNA said.
Full story
TEHRAN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The correspondent for the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Iran, Jon Leyne, has been ordered to
leave the country within 24 hours, Iran's Fars news agency reported Sunday.
Leyne was expelled under the charges of, among other
things, making fabricated news reports and supporting rioters, Fars
said. Full story
TEHRAN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- A daughter and four other
family members of Iran's influential former President Ali Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani have been arrested for provoking "riots," Iran's satellite channel
Press TV reported on Sunday. Full story
WASHINGTON, June 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday urged
the Iranian government to "stop all violent and unjust actions against its own
people," saying the rights to assembly and free speech must be respected.
"The Iranian government must understand that the world is
watching," Obama said in a statement, adding "we call on the Iranian government
to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people." Full story
