Seven died in clashes with armed government militia as hundreds of thousands marched in the largest protests seen since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979.

On Tuesday, Khamenei called for calm on national television.

Protests began after defeated candidate and former Prime Minister, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, alleged electoral fraud.

The President, who won 65 per cent of the vote, denies the claim. Earlier, Khamenei declared Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory a "massive success" and a "divine blessing".

Dr. Walid Phares, from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, says a possible recount may not solve the crisis alone.

“The recount of some of the votes is not going to satisfy the opposition. The crisis today in Iran is much bigger than it was in [the student protests of] 1999. It’s a systemic crisis. You have an alliance between people who were within the regime – that’s Mousavi and his supporters. But you also have a new generation that we haven’t seen in action before. The next weeks and months will tell whether the outcome of this election will help defuse the crisis or inflame it,” believes Dr. Phares.

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