Iranian leaders under fire on domestic front

After six consecutive nights of student-led demonstrations by thousands of people here, Iran lashed out at the United States.

Tehran sent a "vigorous protest" over Washington's "interference" in its internal affairs, in a letter conveyed through the Swiss embassy here.

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In an ongoing bid to stem the tide of dissent on the streets of the capital, a massive police presence ensured demonstrators remained quietly confined to their cars and hardline vigilantes did not further enflame tensions as protests continued into the early hours of Monday.

A top police commander told state news agency IRNA that 30 "miscreants and hooligans" were arrested overnight around Tehran university's main campus, the scene of nearly a week of often violent nocturnal protests.

The deputy interior minister in charge of security, Ali Asghar Ahmadi, also told the news agency more than 250 people were arrested at the protests since Tuesday, but that all but about 90 "counter-revolutionaries or thugs" had been released.

He added that among those detained were some of the vigilantes who violently smashed the demonstrations. "Their actions were not approved," he said.