TEHRAN, (Reuters) – One of Iran’s most senior  politicians accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday of  lying in a televised presidential election debate and called on  the country’s supreme leader to intervene.

In an unprecedented public attack, former president Akbar  Hashemi Rafsanjani said tens of millions of Iranians had  witnessed “mis-statements and fabrications” in the debate last  week, when Ahmadinejad accused Rafsanjani of corruption.
Ahmadinejad also said in the debate Rafsanjani was part of a  political alliance supporting the main challenger, Mirhossein  Mousavi, and seeking to prevent his re-election on Friday.

“I am expecting you to resolve this position in order to  extinguish the fire, whose smoke can be seen in the atmosphere,  and to foil dangerous plots,” Rafsanjani said in a letter to  Khamenei, published by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

The election campaign has been marked by fierce public  debate between Ahmadinejad and his moderate opponents, and  nightly demonstrations by rival supporters on Tehran’s streets.  Rafsanjani’s intervention is likely to raise tensions further.

“Even if I continue to tolerate this situation, there is no  doubt that some people, parties and factions will not tolerate  this situation,” Rafsanjani said, hinting that supporters of  Ahmadinejad’s rivals could take matters into their own hands.
The ISNA news agency reported late yesterday that a  pro-Mousavi newspaper, Yas-e Noo, had been closed down. It gave  no details.

Fourteen high-ranking clerics from the holy Shi’ite city of  Qom echoed Rafsanjani’s remarks, expressing “deep concern and  regret” that Iran’s image had been harmed in the debate.

“Accusing those who were not present at that debate and  could not defend themselves is against our religion,” they said  in a statement also published by Mehr.

Ahmadinejad faces three rival candidates, who have accused  him of lying about the state of Iran’s economy, while he says  his moderate challengers have used their positions to enrich  themselves.

Speaking in the northern town of Sarri yesterday,  Ahmadinejad said that for months his opponents had waged “a  planned psychological war against the revolution. They are lying  and accusing the servant of this nation.”