Prominent reformist clerics attacked by government supporters

Cracks in the Islamic Republic establishment dividing reformist and hardline elements deepened as leading cleric figures came under direct attack by government supporters.

Offices of reformist cleric leaders, Ayatollah Yousef Sanei and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Dastgheib were attacked by pro-government groups and several clerics at the offices were violently beaten in the process.

Adbollah Shahbazi, a historian in Shiraz, identified the perpetrator of the organized attacks as a former Basij Commander and current Governor of Shiraz.

Jaras reports that the offices of the two reformist clerics, who have persistently criticized government violence against election protesters in the past six months, were attacked in Tehran, Mashad, Kerman, Shiraz and Yazd in the past two days.

It adds that security forces made no attempt to stop the attackers.

In another attack against the opposition, the office of a reformist Member of Parliament from Shahre Kord in the west of Iran was burned down by pro-government forces today, according to Parleman News.

Meanwhile the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei downplayed the recent crisis today claiming the Islamic Republic has "grown by double the extent of its recent losses."