The dictator says the dictator is in....

Nothing like a ruling from the Ayatollah....this should stimulate the protests..

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that the election in which Presidential Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was controversially declared the winner was "over".

In a clear endorsement of the incumbent presdident, the Supreme Leader said that his own views were closest to Mr Ahmadinejad's vision for Iran's foreign policy than that of any other candidate.

In a long sermon at Friday prayers at Tehran University, he also warned demonstrators that they must stop their daily protests.

The election's outcome was a vindication of the Islamic Republic, he said, and stated that there was "no cheating".

In an attempt to stave off a formal split in the regime, he declared all four candidates were part of the Islamic system. "The competition for the election was very clear and we can until now we can witness that the competition was among four persons who are from and belong to the Islamic system," he said.

He said that on the basis of an 85 per cent turnout, the vote was an earthquake for the country's enemies. "If the people did not trust in the system they would not participate in it," he said. "Iran's enemies are targeting the beliefs and trust of the people."