TEHRAN, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The interim leader of Friday prayers in Tehran said plots to cause disruptions in the post-election Islamic republic were having little effect on the nation.
Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani delivered the sermon for Friday prayers at Tehran University, telling the congregants that foreign meddling would not disrupt the conservative agenda in Iran, the semiofficial Fars News Agency reports.
"Their plots, conspiracies and moves against the Islamic republic have all proved futile since the very first day (of the 1979 Revolution) and they will remain so due to the vigilance of our nation which knows its enemies," he said.
His remarks follow the inauguration of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was sworn in Wednesday for a disputed second term in office.
Street demonstrations turned violent as Ahmadinejad claimed a disputed victory with more than 60 percent of the vote.
An opposition movement led by former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi and his clerical supporters has emerged in the wake of the June presidential elections, lending a voice to political dissent.
Conservative leaders in Iran blamed foreign parties, particularly the British government and other Western allies, for stoking dissent in the wake of the election.
