The Guardian: Ali Shah is the disrespectful nickname Iranians have in recent years bestowed on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme religious leader of the Islamic republic. It captures what they see as the monarchial aspirations and the clear limitations of the man who took over the function of “guiding” the republic from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini 18 years ago and who now, after an election that has put his man in as president, controls all the major institutions of the Iranian state.

The Guardian – Leader Article: Conservatives and moderates in the Iranian political system, the supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, has said, are like the wings of a bird. Both must beat if the bird is to stay aloft. It is an image with which many outside observers of Iranian politics, who have for years seen the two tendencies as cooperating and sometimes colluding with one another, would concur. But it does not hold at all today, after the victory in the presidential elections of, a victory which means that the hardliners now have power in every branch of Iran’s government.

Washington Times – Editorial: Rarely has more misinformation been written or stated on one subject than is the case with Friday’s runoff election in Iran.

The Times – Leading Article: Elections in Iran are windows through which the regime’s internal struggles can be glimpsed; they are not open democratic contests. The vote is given to all; but the choice offered to voters is much more rigidly circumscribed than outsiders tend to realise. Would-be candidates must first pass muster with the powerful Council of Guardians; and in this year’s presidential elections, it barred some 1,000 hopefuls, including all women with the temerity to apply, from running.

AFP: After eight years of often conciliatory diplomacy and an presidential election where resuming ties with the United States was floated as a real possibility, Mahmood Ahmadinejad’s victory has abruptly slammed the door on any immediate chance of making up with Washington, analysts say.