Student protesters in Tehran stand up to regime's threats

Anti-regime defied threats of a crackdown and took to the streets of Tehran for a third night early yesterday, for a violent protest albeit in reduced numbers.

A hundred students managed to break out of their university campus after midnight and take to the street after smashing down a door.

They chanted slogans hostile to Iran's hardline Islamic leadership and hurled stones at police and member of Islamist militias.

Particular was directed at the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with calls for him to step down.

Police tear gas to disperse hundreds more student demonstrators who had lit fires inside the campus.

Thousands cars converged near the campus, with drivers sounding their horns in support of the students.

But unlike preceding nights, few people converged on the area on foot.

Anti-riot largely succeeded in blocking the roads, preventing the traffic from getting too near to the campus.

Anti-riot also prevented members of the extremist Ansar Hezbollah militia from approaching the campus.

Armed clubs, iron chains and walkie-talkies, the militia members circulated on scooters, confronting police where they could, witnesses said.

Militants also attacked several cars, breaking windows and insulting passengers.

Khamenei Thursday accused the US of stirring trouble in the country.

He said Washington had realized it could not overthrow the Islamic republic's regime militarily and "wanted to create trouble in Iran ... divide the people and create a chasm between the regime and the populace."

In a speech in the southern city of Varamin broadcast on state television, he said if the US "see that disgruntled people and adventurers want to cause trouble, and if they can turn them into mercenaries, they will not hesitate to do so in giving them their support."

The US gave its full backing to the anti-government protesters in Iran but the State Department refused to address accusations from Khamenei that Washington is fomenting the protests.

"Iranians like all people have a right to determine their own destiny," spokesman Richard Boucher said. "The US fully supports their aspirations to live in freedom.