Iran spars with U.S. and Britain over election

By Fredrik Dahl

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran accused the United States of trying to destabilize it and sparked a new row with Britain on Sunday, underscoring the hardline leadership's efforts to blame post-election unrest on foreign powers rather than popular anger.

(Editors' note: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.)

Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei rejected allegations of vote-rigging in this month's presidential election, which unleashed the biggest street protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"I am announcing that no organized rigging which could affect the result of the election took place," he said.

"Americans and the Zionists (Israel) wanted to destabilize Iran ... Even months before the election they started to talk about the possibility of vote-rigging in Iran, and they continue this path after the election," the minister said.

Mohseni-Ejei said the United States and Britain wanted to carry out a "velvet revolution" in Iran but declared that this was impossible. "People are wise and they are very close to their system," he said.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband demanded the release of several local British embassy staff detained by Iran, and said his European Union colleagues had agreed to a "strong, collective response" to any such "harassment and intimidation" against EU missions.

He said Iranian accusations that embassy staff had helped foment unrest were "wholly without foundation."

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei again denounced "interfering statements" by Western officials since the June 12 election.

"If the (Iranian) nation and officials are unanimous and united, then the temptations of international ill-wishers and interfering and cruel politicians will no longer have an impact," state radio quoted him as saying.

The United States and Britain reject accusations by Tehran of interference in this month's vote, which official results showed was won by hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

His main challenger, moderate former prime minister Mirhossein Mousavi, says the vote was rigged and that the election should be annulled.

The West is at odds with Iran over its nuclear program, as well as its handling of the unrest.

"EVERYBODY DEPRESSED"

The streets of Tehran have sunk back into a sullen calm since riot police and religious Basij militia crushed huge demonstrations in which at least 20 people were killed.