An attempted coup in Iran,

Henry Newman, guardian.co.uk

There seems little doubt now that something resembling a coup d'état has been attempted in Tehran. The next few days will reveal if it is to succeed. In scenes not witnessed since the mass protests that brought about a revolution that deposed the Shah in 1979, violent demonstrations have broken out in multiple Iranian cities. Crowds chant anti-Ahmedinejad slogans such as "Death to the Dictator". Hundreds of thousands of supporters of the candidate heavily defeated in Friday's presidential election, Mir Hossein Mousavi, have rejected his defeat – claiming foul play. They are joined by key figures from Iran's political elite including the Association of Combatant Clerics who are calling for the result to be annulled. All three defeated candidates, including the conservative Mohsen Rezaee, a former head of the Revolutionary Guards, reject the election results as fraudulent.

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