Iran: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Calls For ‘Calm & Unity’

Iran Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had an uphill battle in his address to the nation. He calls on the opposing sides to unite and accept the result of the election. Khamenei refuted accusation of vote rigging and insisted the poll was an ” absolute & definitive victory”.

He said: ” When you have peace of mind and tranquility you can decide wisely. Today our society is in need of peace and tranquility. Since the begining of the Islamic Revolution thirty years ago, various incidents occurred, some of which could have toppled the establishment. It could have brought turmoil to the nation, as you have seen in other nations. But in this nation, the ship did not fear any agitation in the stormy sea.”

It seems to be an impossible task to achieve in the light of the huge numbers of people supporting Mousavi. Khamenei doesn’t seem to understand that the  human green sea of  discontent is gathering strength, and could, precisely toppled  the theocracy like a tsunami.

To complicate the matter, some rumors are spreading about a rift between Khamenei and Ayatollah Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani is the 2ND most powerful cleric in Iran after the Supreme Leader as the head of the so called ” Assembly of Experts “. The Assembly of Experts is the only institution in Iran that can challenge the authority of the Supreme Leader.

For his part, Mousavi has urged his supporters not to demonstrate today, but to rally Saturday instead. Mousavi is holding his ground  and requesting for another election to take place.

The options for Khamenei seem to be getting more limited by the day. He can either orchestrate a severe and bloody crack down, and risk to put the theocratic system itself in jeopardy or compromise with Mousavi. It would ultimately mean the sacrifice of Ahmadinejad in the process.

Judging from his speech/prayer, the Ayatollah doesn’t seem to be in the mood for much compromise. If I could give Iran’s Supreme Leader an advise, it would be the following: Next time you decide to steal an election, do it by a smaller margin. It will look more believable.