Ahmadinejad had 'support of military' behind his campaign

Dubai: Seething anger at Iran's presidential election outcome among reformists and their supporters is not expected to be quelled by force and will continue until the top political and religious leaders reach an agreement, a development that is expected within days, according to an expert in Iranian affairs.

Unexpected bursts of protests followed the surprising announcement of the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second four-year term with 62 per cent of the vote in what many believed was the result of a major role played by the military establishment.

Reformists' confrontations with security are "expected to escalate further in the next few days. But will end at a certain point," Mahjoub Zweiri, head of the Iranian Unit at Jordan's University Strategic Studies Centre added.

When it becomes clear that the security establishment is unable to end the tension, other authorities will step in, Zweiri noted.

"Maybe we will witness some sorts of meetings, shown on TV, or statements or interviews between Ayatollah Ali Khameini, and Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the pragmatic and second powerful man in Iran, signalling agreement being reached."

Some reports already noted the beginning of meetings between Khameini and the main reformist candidate, Mir Hussain Mousavi, as well as meetings between Rafsanjani and many clergy figures.

Meanwhile, Zweiri explained that "the Iranians have had accepted previous elections results. But it became obvious that this time there was a general feeling among the reformists that the size of the interference was big, and it aimed at destroying them".

Reformists have lost all the elections held in the past four years - the 2005 presidential election, 2008 parliamentary election and this election.

According to Zweiri, who has written two books on Iran's reformists and its foreign policy, "There is a sort of consensus, in many reformists' websites, that there is a noticeable interference from the military establishment in the election."

Both Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the powerful Islamic Revolution Guards, and Hassan Firuzabadi, the Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces, gave press statements several weeks earlier directly and indirectly supporting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, experts noted.

A boost to the campaign of Ahmadinejad - whose economic policies frustrated many Iranians - became necessary with the mounting popularity of the reformists' programmes, analysts said, especially that Ahmadinejad came out from the campaigns, as the "only person who represents the traditional Iran's view", said Zweiri. Khameini, who has the ultimate say in Iran's affairs, sought to send a message to the West that "the candidate you want will not win."

Khameini hailed the victory of Ahmadinejad even before the concerned council endorsed the results.

However, officials in Iran describe the election as free and removed from any irregularities reported by reformists.

Meanwhile, analysts in neighbouring countries describe post-election developments in Iran as an internal issue.