Khamenei: We Won't Yield 'At Any Cost'

Ayatollah Khamenei ruled out political compromise today, telling parliament that Tehran would not “yield to pressure at any cost,” the New York Times reports. “I insisted and will insist on implementing the law on the election issue,” he said. He spoke after Mohsen Rezai, one of the three opposition candidates, dropped his complaints about vote rigging, saying Iran’s “political, social, and security” concerns were more important.

The other two remained defiant, calling for more protests and the release of detainees. But analysts say Rezai’s defection is a major blow. A regime loyalist, Rezai’s objections lent credence to the election challenge. Khamenei’s statements also seem to indicate that he’ll use any methods at his disposal to silence dissent. (More Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stories.)