In his sermon today, Tehran interim Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati thanked the Iranian public for massive participation in the presidential elections and said that Iran's enemies had been trying to downplay the massive turnout.
He said that this turnout made the friends of the Islamic Revolution happy and its enemies angry.
Urging Iran's political parties to end their dispute over the outcome of the elections, in the interest of the country, he said, "The world has its eyes fixed on Iran's post-election developments. So we need to end the ongoing dispute."
He went on to warn that powers in the West would derive great benefits if the internal dispute continued to drag on.
"The Guardian Council has looked into the complaints in the past week and has provided evidence that proves the election process was fair and healthy right from the beginning. This leaves no room for opposition," he stated, adding that the Guardian Council had done all it could to confirm the results. "With maximum care, we investigated electoral complaints. The elections was safe and had no problems."
He stated that a careful look at the recent events showed that the enemies had designed a velvet revolution in Iran, and that the rioting had been planned long in advance of the elections by foreign elements, without regard as to who would win the election.
"They have beforehand announced there may be some riots in March 2009, and they asked their nationals not to be present in public places," he said.
He added that in December 2008, a website linked to the British Foreign Office said that in June 2009, in the election, there would be rioting in Iran.
Ayatollah Jannati said that British Embassy personnel who had a part in the rioting had been arrested and would of course stand trial.
He said that they had confessed and that the confessions would be made public if the need arose, and that "the rioters will be tried in a court."
Referring to the guidelines of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he said, "The enemies did not understand the Iranian nation – people who have handed over thousands of martyrs to the Islamic revolution and never withdraw from their stance."
Addressing the enemies of the Islamic Revolution, he said, "You want to change Iran as in Georgia or Ukraine, with street riots. It is necessary for you to review the Islamic Revolution's experiences in confrontation with enemy plots."
Sources: Fars, IRNA, IRIBnews, IRINN, Press TV, Iran, July 3, 2009
