Tehran Girds for More Protests

Officials Say More Than A Dozen Died Saturday

| A WALL STREET JOURNAL NEWS ROUNDUP

AFP/Getty Images

Supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi throw stones at riot police Saturday.

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranian officials girded for further protests Sunday, a day after the bloodiest clashes in a week of demonstrations following contested June 12 elections.

Authorities, quoted in state media, said they had restored calm across the capital after Saturday's explosion of violence. Iranian state television reported 13 people were killed in clashes between police and what they called "terrorist groups," according to the Associated Press.

The report didn't specify how the deaths occurred, but state television reported earlier that several people were killed Saturday when "rioters" attacked a mosque in western Tehran. Iranian officials, quoted in state media, blamed the violence on organizers, who they said coerced large numbers of demonstrators onto the streets.

Violence in Iran Escalates

2:42

Iranian protestors are faced with a ruthless crackdown as authorities deploy gunfire, teargas and water cannons and threaten the crowds with arrest. Video courtesy of Fox News.

There was no word on any new clashes Sunday, although after dark many people in Tehran went to their rooftops to shout "Death to the dictator" and Allahu akbar," a common form of defiance in recent days.

Meanwhile, state-run Press TV reported that ex-President Hashemi Rafsanjani's eldest daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, and four other family members were arrested late Saturday, according to AP. Last week, state television showed images of Ms. Hashemi, 46, speaking to hundreds of supporters of opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Mr. Rafsanjani, 75, has made no secret of his distaste for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mr. Ahmadinejad has accused Rafsanjani and his family of corruption.

One senior police official, quoted on state media late Saturday, said 400 police had been injured in violence and said hundreds of buildings -- including many banks -- and cars had been destroyed. It was unclear if the tally was for the entire week of protests, or just Saturday.

On Saturday, witnesses painted a scene of chaos, permeated by the haze of tear gas and the wail of police sirens, along large swaths of the city.

Witnesses in central Tehran, reached by phone, reported uniformed officials, some in camouflage and others in plainclothes, beating protesters back with batons and firing tear gas.

Crowds appeared to be much smaller Saturday than in previous days, when supporters of presidential challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi took to the streets in the hundreds of thousands to demonstrate against what they said was vote rigging in the June 12 election victory of Mr. Ahmadinejad.

Mr. Mousavi repeated his demand Saturday that the election be annulled. "The Iranian nation will not believe this unjust and illegal'' act, Mr. Mousavi said in a letter published on one of his official Web sites. The letter listed alleged violations, such as ballot boxes that had been sealed before voting began.

Mr. Ahmadinejad has said the vote was free of fraud. Iranian officials have agreed to a partial recount of some contested votes. On Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Mr. Ahmadinejad's announced margin of victory was so big that vote rigging wouldn't have had an impact on the outcome.

President Barack Obama Saturday challenged Iran's government to halt "all violent and unjust actions against its own people.'' In a statement, Obama said the universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected. He said the U.S. "stands with all who seek to exercise those rights."

The AP reported police used water canons against thousands of protesters, citing eyewitnesses. Witnesses told the AP that between 50 and 60 protesters were seriously beaten by police and pro-government militia and taken to Imam Khomeini hospital in central Tehran.

Related Video

• Video: Latest Deadly Clashes
• Video: Not Ready for Another Revolution
• Video: How Far Will Protestors Go?
• Video: Amateur Video of Iran Protests
• Video: Is Twitter Diluting Iran's Messages?

Iran Election

• Digits: Videogames a Way to Avoid Iran's Web Censors?
• Google Adds Farsi to Translation Tools
• Iran Leaders, Challengers to Meet
• Iran Cracks Down on Web Use
• Audio: WSJ's Fassihi Reports From Tehran
• Vote: Will Iran's regime survive?
• Complete Coverage at WSJ.com/World

Checks and Balances

Iran's government is a combination of democracy and Islamic theocracy. Take a look at the power structure.

View Interactive

Separately, state media reported a bomb blast Saturday at the mausoleum of the founder of Iran's revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Initially, media reported the blast killed two and injured eight. In an update Sunday, state media reported that just the suicide bomber had died in the attack, which injured another three.

Another eyewitness to the Tehran clashes said in one neighborhood, protesters pelted security officials with stones. The security forces would then charge into groups of demonstrators, tossing tear-gas canisters. The sound of gun shots rang out, but it was unclear if authorities were firing into the air.

By sundown, the security services appeared to have dispersed big crowds that had gathered along Fatemi Street, a major boulevard, and Azadi Square. "Everyone was spread out," said one eyewitness. "Everyone was all over the place and set bonfires on all the streets."

"We saw a lot of people bloodied," this eyewitness said. He said, however, the uniformed riot police--typically dressed in black--didn't appear to be beating protesters. Instead, it was a corps of troops in camouflage-colored uniforms, with riot masks, shields and batons.

Men in plainclothes and riding motorcycles--typical of Iran's Basij militia--also sported riot gear and were beating protesters with batons, this person said.

The protesters shouted "Death to the dictator!" and included all ages, young people, old women and old men, eyewitnesses said.

"There was smoke and tear gas everywhere," said one eyewitness. Iranian authorities have restricted foreign journalists from reporting on unauthorized protests.

View Slideshow

Associated Press

Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossien Mousavi set fire to a barricade.

Security services appeared to have fanned out heavily across the city. Along Chamran highway, heading from central Tehran to the more affluent northern suburbs of the city, protesters were seen walking, their hands held up high making peace signs. Witnesses said many streets and alleys between Revolution Square and Freedom Square were filled with security officials, several of them beating groups of protesters. Police had spread out into many streets.

"They took a person out of the car next to mine, just for honking the horn," said one eyewitness. "They dragged him out of the car and several police beat him up and then took him away."

The violent clashes followed Friday's sermon by Mr. Khamenei, in which he ordered demonstrations to stop, and promised to hold protest organizers responsible for any bloodshed should they continue.

Underscoring that tough stance, Tehran Province Police Chief Ahmad Reza Radan said Saturday that police forces "will crack down on any gathering or protest rally which are being planned by some people,'' according to state media. The head of the State Security Council also warned Mr. Mousavi that he would be held responsible if he encouraged street protests, state media reported.

Mr. Mousavi and the two other candidates who ran against Mr. Ahmadinejad had been invited to meet with Iran's Guardian Council, a top review board, to discuss their allegations of vote rigging. On Saturday, a council spokesman told state TV that Mr. Mousavi and the reformist candidate Mahdi Karroubi didn't attend. But the spokesman also said the council had agreed to recount 10% of the vote, in its ongoing investigation of the election.

"Although the Guardian Council is not legally obliged ... we are ready to recount 10% of the [ballot] boxes randomly in the presence of representatives of the candidates," said the body's spokesman, Abbas-Ali Kadkhodayi on state TV Saturday.