Hossein Derakhshan reports from Tehran, "things are getting nasty here":

After Karrubi's unbelievably blunt letter to the Supreme Leader, everything is suddenly changing. All non-fundamentalists are rallying behind Rafsanjani. Many are talking about a possible coup by Sepah and Basij after Friday's second round results.

It's also rumoured (now confirmed ) that Eqbal and Aftab, pro-reform newspapers, were seizes in the printing house last night after they published full text of the letter.

Karrubi for the first time has publically challenged the Supreme Leader and has accused his son of paving the way for an unexpectedly high vote for Ahmadinejad.

He also translates from his Persian blog a fierce argument happening in Iranian circles and diaspora circles: should pro reformers boycott the Friday run off or stand behind Rafsanjani as the least bad option? Derakhshan argues, "Boycotting the second round is an absolute betrayal to the Iranian people. LA-based bastards who promote this don't deserve to be called Iranians. Voting for Rafsanjani, despite my strong arguments against him, is the only way we can prevent a democratic-looking coup." Some of that debate is echoing here.

Posted by Laura at June 20, 2005 10:24 AM