Iran accuses Britain of interference

Tehran : Tens of thousands of government supporters rallied yesterday, state media said, and a reformist party (Islamic Iran's Participation Front) called on Iran's rulers to apologise to the nation two days after eight people were killed in anti-government protests.

The rallies called for the punishment of opposition leaders for fomenting unrest after June's presidential poll which was won by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, state media reported.

The elite Revolutionary Guards accused the foreign media of joining hands with the opposition to harm the country and the British ambassador to Tehran was summoned by the Iranian government to be accused of "interference" in state matters.

"If Britain does not stop talking nonsense it will get a slap in the mouth," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said.

At least 20 opposition figures have been arrested since Sunday, including three senior advisers to opposition leader Mir Hussain Mousavi, his brother-in-law and a sister of Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, opposition websites reported.