The Islamic Republic has given a muted response to proposals for Mohammed Zaher Shah to help form a new Afghan government, accepting that giving him some role might at least help replace the ruling Taleban it so detests, analysts and diplomats said.

But Tehran has tried hard to avoid public discussion of any involvement of the 87-year-old former monarch, whose possible return could encourage some Iranian opposition voices at home and abroad.

Adding to Iran's concerns, the son of its own former Shah, Reza Pahlavi, has gained a wider audience through U.S.-based satellite television stations, including opposition channels watched by an increasing number of middle-class Iranians.

At home, the Iranian press has been treading a cautious line, trying to avoid even mentioning the former Afghan king's title of "Shah." Some Iranian journalists say they have been warned away from using the term.

Officials, too, are reluctant to refer to the potential role of the former king, touted as a key figure in putting together a broad-based coalition government to replace the Taleban if it crumbles amid U.S. military strikes on Afghanistan.

When asked about a potential role for Zaher Shah, Iranian officials and many local analysts offer a standard response.

"It is up to the Afghan people to choose the government of Afghanistan," said former deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Maleki, echoing remarks by Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.

Majority Shiite Muslim Iran has long backed the opposition Northern Alliance in its bid to topple the purist Sunni Muslim Taleban, whom Iran accuses of persecuting fellow Shiites.

Iran has called for former President Borhaneddin Rabbani, whom it recognises as the legitimate leader, to play a central role in a future government rather than the former king.

Iran overthrew its own monarch, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, in the 1979 Islamic revolution that swept to power the charismatic religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The shah died in exile.

But the Afghan crisis has rekindled interest in the monarchy among some Iranians. Some angry youths have even chanted pro-shah slogans during riots after the national team's recent World Cup qualifying matches.

Shahram -- which is not his real name -- has heard his parents speak of the liberal life they led before the revolution, and is frustrated he cannot enjoy the same freedoms.

In recent years, Iran has struggled to create jobs for its massive youth population. Besides unemployment, a major source of discontent among some of the youth is the strict Islamic laws that include bans on dating and Western-style parties.

Like many of his middle-class friends, Shahram has watched Reza Pahlavi on satellite television. The broadcasts appeared to be a main reason for a recent police crackdown on illegal but widely used satellite dishes.

Pahlavi, who appealed to Iranians to come out onto the streets after the latest soccer match this week, recently told CNN that he saw himself as "a leader of a movement that would support the Iranian people in gaining self-determination."

"And as I said, I stand ready to serve them in whatever capacity they choose in the future," he said.

But many Iranians question the right of the deposed shah's son to make such appeals, when his father quashed dissent and made no effort to create democracy.

Iranians now, at least, vote for their president although candidates are vetted by top clerics, they say.

"Reza Pahlavi is sitting comfortably in the United States and asking poor Iranians to get beaten up", said a young taxi driver in the Iranian capital. ENDS ZAHER SHAH IRAN 51101

The Moscow Times published the following article

Highlights are from Iran Press Service