Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has described the election result as a charade which his supporters will never accept. He says the voting was rigged; observers are also describing the poll as fraudulent.

Mr Mousavi, a former Iranian prime minister, says the developments constitute a dangerous scenario for the country. The official figures give sitting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 62.6 percent of the vote, against 33.8 for Mr Mousavi who was his main rival.

After the results were declared, Mr Mousavi's supporters took to the streets of the capital Tehran. A ban on demonstrations had been announced and they clashed with police and with supporters of the president.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has congratulated Mr Ahmadinejad on his re-election. He was positive about the outcome of the poll and called on all Iranians to support the president.