Opposition heads on Saturday implicitly called for demonstrations on the February 11 anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution, as the Revolutionary Guards warned that any such protest will be crushed.Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who have spearheaded protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, met on Saturday and invited supporters to demonstrate on the anniversary day, Karroubi's website Sahamnews.org said.
The two leaders said Thursday's hangings of two dissidents, Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmani Pour, for allegedly plotting to topple the Islamic regime after Iran's election dispute broke out in June was an attempt to keep people away from the February 11 demonstration.
"It seems that such a move is to scare people so they do not take part in the demonstration of 22nd of Bahman (February 11)," the website quoted the two as saying, an indication of possible anti-government protests which could occur during regime-sponsored annual marches.
The website said Mousavi and Karroubi agreed that the executed pair appeared to have been arrested months before the June 12 presidential election and had nothing to do with the post-poll violence.
The two dissidents belonged to the monarchist group Tondar (the Kingdom Assembly of Iran), according to Iranian media reports.
Their hangings were the first reported executions of people tried since the wave of protests that broke out following the re-election of hardliner Ahmadinejad to a second four-year term.
Sahamnews said the two leaders also invited people to turn out in "massive numbers" on February 11 for the 31st anniversary.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians march each year to mark the revolution which toppled the pro-Western shah but next month's event is expected to turn into another stage for anti-government protests.
On Saturday, a senior commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards militia warned that any attempt by opposition groups to protest against the government on February 11 will be crushed.
"We will by no means allow anything known as the 'green movement' to make an appearance" on the anniversary, Brigadier General Hossein Hamedani was quoted as saying on ISNA news agency.
Protesters would be considered as "foreign agents."
"Any voice, colour and gesture which is different from that of the Islamic revolution and from Iranians' voice should be driven out of people's marches ... and if there a few people who want to do something, they will be severely dealt with," he said.
Opposition supporter and ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, meanwhile, urged people to maintain calm on the anniversary day.
"Those who love the regime ... should try that this year's march be held calmly ... because any conflict and violence will serve the interests of enemies," Rafsanjani was quoted on state television's website.
The anti-Ahmadinejad protests which erupted after his re-election have shaken the pillars of Iran's Islamic regime and divided the clergy.
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