Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been sworn in as Iranian president as riot police broke up an opposition protest over an election that triggered the worst turmoil in the Islamic republic's history.
The 52-year-old hardliner took the oath of office for another four-year term at a ceremony in parliament, defiantly vowing to resist 'oppressive powers' and saying his June election marked a major change in Iran.
But prominent opposition leaders were absent from today's ceremony, and outside riot police and Basij volunteer Islamic militiamen used pepper gas against demonstrators who claim Mr Ahmadinejad's landslide victory was fraudulent.
Today's ceremony was attended by about 240 of Iran's 290 MPs as well as clerics, but prominent opposition leaders including Mr Ahmadinejad's main defeated challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi were absent, as was powerful cleric and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
After taking the oath, Mr Ahmadinejad has a two-week deadline to form a new government that is likely to remain on a collision course with the West, particularly over Iran's controversial nuclear drive.
His re-election on 12 June had set off massive street protests, deadly violence, a raft of political trials, increasing divisions among the ruling elite and further isolated Iran on the world stage.
About 30 people were killed in the violence, hundreds wounded and around 2,000 initially arrested, while around 110 have been put on trial.
US reverses statement
In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said he had misspoken yesterday calling Mr Ahmadinejad Iran's elected leader.
He said the US will let the Iranian people decide whether Iran's election was fair.
‘Let me correct a little bit of what I said yesterday. I denoted that Mr Ahmadinejad was the elected leader of Iran. I would say that's not for me to pass judgment on,’ Mr Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One.
