Iran on the brink of major confrontation?

TEHRAN, July 27 (UPI) -- The suppression of dissent in Iran has extended to the point that confrontation with the ruling elites is almost unavoidable, an Iranian journalist claims.

Iran descended into political turmoil following the June 12 presidential election that brought a disputed second term for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Iranian authorities imposed restrictions on foreign media outlets and disrupted cellular text messaging as well as Internet activity in the wake of the elections, making assessments of the situation there difficult.

An Iranian journalist, using a nom de plume, writes for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that violence among demonstrators and government-backed paramilitary forces is almost a daily occurrence, with slogans of "God is great" echoing through the streets.

The journalist notes that the Islamic republic "appears to be breaking" as cracks in the solidarity of the clerical elite emerge between those siding with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and those supporting opposition leaders.

He cites growing disunity among members of national security forces as a further sign of internal division in post-election Iran, saying 37 army officers were arrested because they wanted to attend Friday prayers offered by opposition leader and former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Meanwhile, the reaction by national authorities to dissent "is becoming so profound that confrontation is almost unavoidable."