Police break up new Tehran rally

Iranian riot police have fired tear gas to break up a new opposition rally in the centre of the capital Tehran, hours after a stern warning to protesters. Some 1,000 people had gathered on Haft-e Tir Square despite the warning from Iran's Revolutionary Guards against holding unapproved rallies. Reports say the police were reinforced by Basij militiamen wielding clubs. The Guards, an elite armed force, vowed to crack down on new street protests over the presidential election results. On Friday Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned protests, prompting street violence in which at least 10 people died. Severe reporting restrictions placed on the BBC and other foreign media in Iran mean protest reports cannot be verified independently. 'They are firing' Eyewitnesses said hundreds of riot police were used to drive the protesters from the square.BBC Persian TV received an e-mail from one person saying it had been packed with protesters when police moved against them. "There are lots of people but they are scattered, and lots of police guards. "They are firing bullets in the air and using tear gas against the crowds. It's a very dangerous situation but our brave people are still here in the streets." Police wore helmets and were armed with steel clubs and cables, according to other witnesses. Some rode motorbikes and carried guns. An eyewitness living close to the square told the BBC News website he had seen riot police "on every corner and by every set of traffic lights" as he drove home on Monday. The Revolutionary Guards have close ties to the country's supreme leader. In a statement posted on their website, they said their troops would break up street protests and force protesters from the streets. "Be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij and other security forces and disciplinary forces," they said. "The Guards will firmly confront in a revolutionary way rioters and those who violate the law," they added. The plain-clothed Basij militia was involved in quelling earlier protests during more than a week of demonstrations against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In other developments on Monday: • Italy instructed its embassy in Tehran to provide humanitarian aid to protesters wounded during clashes • The UK Foreign Office said it was evacuating the families of staff based in Iran "until the situation improves" 'Mobiles blocked' The streets of Tehran had been quieter on Sunday, with the earlier weekend violence leading many Iranians to abandon protest plans.One regular protester, 20-year-old student Behrooz, told the BBC that protesters were aware their electronic communications were being monitored. "We know that some of them are tracking us on our phone," he said. "When we say certain words... such as 'supreme leader' or 'demonstration' our lines are cut." Mobile calls were being blocked in the evenings and phones would not work in areas where people were demonstrating, he said. Results showed Mr Ahmadinejad won the 12 June election by a landslide, taking 63% of the vote, almost double that of Mir Hossein Mousavi, his nearest rival. Following complaints, the powerful Guardian Council, which oversees the electoral process, said it had found some evidence of voting irregularities but the number had "no effect on the result of the elections", it insisted. Iran's foreign ministry has accused Western governments of explicitly backing violent protests.