Tehran, June 29 (IANS) The United States and Israel, the two main foes of Iran, were behind the post-election protests and violence in the Islamic country, a senior minister has alleged.
“I announce that no organised rigging which could affect the result of the election has taken place,” Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei said in an interview with IRIB’s Channel Two Sunday night.

The minister alleged that the country’s enemies conspired several months before the presidential election to stir unrest in the country and dissuade the Iranians from voting, Press TV reported.

“Americans and Zionists sought to destabilise Iran… they were upset with a stabilised and secure Iran,” Ejei said, adding that “months before the election they started to talk about the possibility of vote-rigging in the election and they continued the course following the vote”.

He also said the Iranian intelligence services, who were aware of the foreign plots to mar the election months before the vote, even foiled some assassination attempts in the country.

The June 12 election, which saw incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad winning in a landslide with almost two-thirds of the votes, was marred by demonstrations by the opposition parties who accused the government of voting-fraud.

Ahmadinejad’s main challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi called for the result to be annulled and demanded fresh elections.

Taking a swipe at Mousavi, Ejei said his demand for holding fresh election would undermine the credibility of the electoral system.

Meanwhile, the top legislature of the country, the Guardian Council, has begun the partial recounting of votes in presence of media to ensure there won’t be any kind irregularities.

Mousavi had earlier rejected the recounting of 10 percent of ballots, saying it would consolidate the massive fraud carried by the government during the elections.