The decision to unleash security forces with live rounds on unarmed protesters in Central Tehran on Sunday, shouted louder than any words from opposition leaders ever could have, that the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad feels materially threatened by the growing uprising in Iran.

Gone was the pretense that this is a minority that could soon be whipped into line as first the security forces then the Iranian parliament gave the game away.

The latter began by blaming western governments for inflaming internal strife in Iran and calling for opposition leaders to distance themselves from the protests. In addition, of course, warning that a severe crackdown was going to take place on any demonstrations.

Superfluous you would have thought from the minute that the first protester was shot dead in cold blood.

Earlier this week news broke that opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karoubi, another leading figure, had fled Tehran. While the two leaders can only be considered nominal leaders of the Green movement their presence is nonetheless important to its wellbeing.

Now Moussavi in response to Sunday's clashes has said that he is ready to die for the rights of the people.

"I have no hesitation about becoming one of the martyrs for realizing the religious and national rights of the people,"

This trend of styling those who are killed by the security forces as 'martyrs' is growing, as is the previously unthinkable criticism of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Where once had stood an attack on the government of Ahmadinejad for electoral fraud now lives a call for a complete regime change.

Supporters of Ahmadinejad demanded the arrest of Moussavi and Karroubi with some even calling for their execution.

"My blood is the same colour as that of my [killed] supporters. But imprisoning and killing the Moussavis and Karroubis, would definitely not solve the problems as the people's protests have in the meantime developed their own momentum," Moussavi said.

And right there you have the chilling message that Ahmadinejad and his government must have been dreading all along. The fact that in the death of Mousavi and others like him they will not find political redemption.

If anything it will galvanize those dead set on ridding Iran of the current regime to intensify the pressure into what may fast be becoming a counter-revolution.

The use of live rounds on it's own citizens is prima facie proof that that is precisely what Tehran believes as well.


Sapa-RS