In Tehran, a Mood of Melancholy Descends

TEHRAN — (June 27, 2009)

An eerie stillness has settled over this normally frenetic city.

Iranian Leaders Gaining the Edge Over Protesters

In less anxious times, the streets are clogged with honking cars and cranky commuters. But on Saturday, drives that normally last 45 minutes took just a third of the time, and shops were mainly empty. Even Tehran’s beauty salons, normally hives of activity, had few customers; at one, bored workers fussed over one another’s hair.

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Mr. Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, responded Saturday to statements by President Obama, who made his most critical remarks of the Iranian leadership on Friday, when he called the government’s crackdown “outrageous” and said the prospects for a dialogue with Iran had been dampened.

Mr. Ahmadinejad suggested that Washington’s stance could imperil Mr. Obama’s aim of improving relations, according to the ISNA news agency.

“Didn’t he say that he was after change?” Mr. Ahmadinejad asked. “Why did he interfere?”

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Mousavi's supporters plan to release thousands of balloons on Friday with the message: "Neda you will always remain in our hearts", in memory of Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman killed last week who has become an icon of the demonstrations. There was no sign of the balloons by late Friday afternoon. Khatami said Neda was shot by government opponents for propaganda purposes. "By watching the film, any wise person can understand that rioters killed her," he said.

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