Shiraz, Iran News

Iranian authorities intensified a crackdown on the country's burgeoning opposition movement Monday, rounding up political activists and seizing the corpse of one leading opponent's nephew, along with the bodies of other victims of weekend violence, in an apparent effort to stem further protests.

Tens of thousands of hard-line government supporters turned out for state-sponsored rallies Wednesday, some of them calling for the execution of opposition leaders as Iran's police chief threatened to show "no mercy" in crushing any new protests by the pro-reform movement.

Tens of thousands of government supporters rallied on Tuesday, state media said, and a reformist party called on Iran's rulers to apologize to the nation two days after eight people were killed in anti-government protests.

Iranian security forces fired on stone-throwing protesters in the center of the capital Sunday in one of the bloodiest confrontations in months, opposition Web sites and witnesses said.

Iranian police have fired tear gas and warning shots to disperse opposition protesters in central Tehran, witnesses have said.

An Iranian opposition supporter gestures during clashes with security forces in Tehran on December 27, 2009.

Iranian police opened fire on crowds of protesters yesterday, killing at least 10 people, witnesses and opposition websites said, and setting off a day of chaotic street battles that seemed poised to deepen the country's civil unrest.

The nephew of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the Iranian opposition leader, has reportedly been killed in violence surrounding street protests in Tehran during the Shia Muslim festival of Ashoura.

Iranian security forces on Sunday killed at least four people, including a nephew of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, during the fiercest clashes with anti-government protesters in months, opposition Web sites and witnesses said.

Parisa Hafezi and Fredrik Dahl Reuters Published on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 8:18AM EST Last updated on Sunday, Dec.

Iran 's political turmoil threatened to flare up into a full-blown crisis again yesterday as security forces clashed with opposition protesters before keynote religious ceremonies.

President Ahmadinejad has warned the West that it must not assume that Iran is a divided society as the country faced some demonstrations following the June presidential election.

Source: Radio Zamaneh Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was dismissed on Tuesday from his government post as the head of the Academy of Arts.

Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced on Wednesday that Iran will unveil a new generation of the "national satellite" called Tolou in early February.

Iran's top dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, was buried today in the shrine of Masoumeh, a revered Shi'ite figure, in the holy city of Qom.

Iran's president on Tuesday dismissed a year-end deadline set by the Obama administration and the West for Tehran to accept a U.N.-drafted deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel, and claimed his government is now "10 times stronger" than a year ago.

One of Iran's most prominent dissident clerics, Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri, has died aged 87.

Iran's opposition leaders have called for a day of mourning following the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, a senior cleric who was a fierce critic of the current government.

Isfahan - The Iran Professional League match between Sepahan of Isfahan and Moghavemat of Shiraz on Friday was halted after the first half due to heavy snowfall and postponed to a later date.

The increasing frequency of student protests in universities across the country, especially since December 7, point to the university administrators' loss of control over the university atmosphere.