Iranian Opposition Leader Sends New Warning

Top Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi is warning Tehran's government it will not be able to put down the reform movement by force, and says he is not afraid to become a martyr.

In a statement posted on opposition Web sites - Mousavi's own Kaleme site and Jaras - Friday, the reformer said Iran is in the midst of a "serious crisis."

Mousavi warned that jailing or killing opposition leaders will not calm the situation.  He also called on the government to adopt a five-point plan, which includes freeing political prisoners and establishing new, transparent election laws.

The statement follows some of the worst violence to hit the country since June, when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a disputed election.

During Friday prayers in Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, a hardline cleric, said those behind the unrest should be kept in jail.  He also accused them of being "corrupt on earth" - a charge punishable by death under Islamic law.

Protests last Sunday turned bloody when Iranian security forces and opposition activists clashed.  At least eight people were killed in the violence, which coincided with Shi'ite Islam's solemn Ashura holiday.   

Iranian opposition Web sites reported sporadic skirmishes Thursday, but those reports could not be confirmed.  Foreign media have been banned from directly covering opposition activities in the streets.

On Thursday, Iran increased security in the capital, while the Intelligence Ministry warned it would deal with those who incite riots or violence in the country.

On Wednesday, large pro-government crowds shouted death threats to opposition leaders they blame for unrest in the Islamic republic.