Ahmadinejad wins landslide victory in Iran

Hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been declared the winner of Iran's presidential election, prompting street protests by the opposition. Iran's interior minister, Sadeq Mahsouli, announced Saturday that President Ahmadinejad won 62.6 percent of the vote, beating out his top reformist rival Mir Hossein Mousavi, who received 33.75 percent of the vote. Ahmadinejad wins landslide victory in Iran Following preliminary results, Mousavi, a former prime minister, denounced what he called many violations in Friday's vote, and vowed not to surrender to the "charade." His supporters, angry with the results, protested in the streets of Tehran and briefly clashed with police, who used batons to disperse the crowds. The results have also surprised many analysts who predicted a tight race between the incumbent president and Mousavi. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, welcomed the results. He said the high voter turnout - at more than 80 percent - and the 24 million votes cast for Mr. Ahmadinejad are a "real celebration." Reformist cleric Mehdi Karroubi and conservative former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei also competed in the poll, in which Iran's economy, nuclear program and foreign relations were said to play a key role. Ahmadinejad's rivals have accused him of badly mismanaging the economy and tarnishing Iran's image, further isolating the country from the West. The Iranian president has denied the Holocaust and called for Israel to be wiped off the map. Saturday, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said the election results depicting Ahmadinejad's victory demonstrate that the "Iranian threat" has grown. Ayalon also said the international community must stop the nuclear program and terrorism coming from Iran.

Ahmadinejad wins landslide victory in Iran

Following preliminary results, Mousavi, a former prime minister, denounced what he called many violations in Friday's vote, and vowed not to surrender to the "charade."

His supporters, angry with the results, protested in the streets of Tehran and briefly clashed with police, who used batons to disperse the crowds.

The results have also surprised many analysts who predicted a tight race between the incumbent president and Mousavi.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, welcomed the results. He said the high voter turnout - at more than 80 percent - and the 24 million votes cast for Mr. Ahmadinejad are a "real celebration."

Reformist cleric Mehdi Karroubi and conservative former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei also competed in the poll, in which Iran's economy, nuclear program and foreign relations were said to play a key role.

Ahmadinejad's rivals have accused him of badly mismanaging the economy and tarnishing Iran's image, further isolating the country from the West. The Iranian president has denied the Holocaust and called for Israel to be wiped off the map.

Saturday, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said the election results depicting Ahmadinejad's victory demonstrate that the "Iranian threat" has grown. Ayalon also said the international community must stop the nuclear program and terrorism coming from Iran.