Iran goes into selective vote recount

Three candidates in the vote have complained of smear campaigns and organised plots in Friday's vote, which saw hardline Tehran mayor Mahmood Ahmadinejad come a close second behind moderate conservative cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Rafsanjani now faces the challenge of persuading dispirited reformists to support him against Ahmadinejad in next Friday's run-off, one of the most crucial political battles in recent Iranian history.

The Guardians Council, an unelected body that oversees the vote, said it had agreed to allow a recount of 100 randomly-selected ballot boxes out of a total of more than 41,000.

"The Guardians Council, despite the fact that it has not received any complaints from the candidates of breaches in the prescribed time, will recount to produce a more accurate result," state television said.