The 76 years-old dissident cleric resigned Tuesday as the Friday Preacher, conferred to him 30 years ago by Grand Ayatollah Rohollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, in protest to the "increasing corruption among the highest religious leaders" and the "sad and dangerous" situation created by bunch of "clerical usurpers and their cronies" for both Islam and Iran.

The news of the resignation exploded like a thunder in the city where followers of Ayatollah Taheri clashed with Law Enforcement Forces and conservatives-controlled Islamist thugs supporting Ayatollah Khameneh'i.

Like in Tehran and other major cities, Esfahan had been also the theatre of street fights between students with the Police and security forces mobilised on orders of the government to prevent any rally or demonstrations aimed at marking the third anniversary of the 9 July 1999 massacre of students by the clerical-led authorities.

The blistering indictment, released first by the independent Students News Agency ISNA was widely reproduced by pro-reform newspapers, but was downplayed by the conservatives-controlled press, most of them obeying to Ayatollah Khameneh'i and ignored by official media, with IRNA saying Mr. Taheri had resigned invoking "age and poor health conditions".

"Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and the creation of the Islamic Republic, never, ever anyone had dared to denounce out with such hair-raising words the failures and incompetence of the present rulers", one political analyst observed on condition of anonymity.

"This letter is probably one of the last nails to the coffin which is being prepared for the Islamic Republic", commented another analyst, pointing out that in his statement, Ayatollah Taheri had also "undressed" Mr. Khameneh'i by condemning his dictatorial way of running the nation.

"Though the statement do not name the leader, but there is no doubt that most of the vitriolic critics Ayatollah Taheri refers to are directed at the very person of Ayatollah Khameneh'i. Certainly, the statement would precipitate the process of change which is unfolding in Iran", he added.

The Islamic Iran Participation Front, the nation’s largest political party that serves as an organ for the embattled President, also backed Ayatollah Taheri’s statement and praised "the great courage" with which he expressed the "true aspirations of millions of Iranians" and, as a clergymen, denounced all the wrongdoings, oppressions, monopolisation of power and religion by official clerics".

"The principle of republic means constant change of officials. Civil society means repeated and unabated critic and contesting of government plans and revolution means satisfying and guaranteeing people’s demands. Unfortunately, today’s realities are far different", Ayatollah Taheri observed as a preamble to his statement, adding that he is more than shamed when one learns that how the "aqazadeh (sons and relatives of wealthy and influential clerical rulers and officials as well as those who consider the nation as their own property, jockeys against each other in plundering the nation’s wealth and the poor people".

"Until when one would continue talking nonsense’s, repeat same old and tiresome clichés, organise endless and meaningless meetings, spent poor people’s money for lavish political trips void of any interest, self-satisfying propaganda and luxurious way of life? he questioned.

"Until when indifference and ignoring people’s legitimate demands? Neither the Shah nor the Americans have any influence in this country, then why blaming them for shortcomings, failures and problems? Why not listening to positive critics and using real competences and brains", Ayatollah Taheri continued.

Like a tropical storm, Ayatollah Taheri, a student and a close associate of Ayatollah Khomeini, then mentions to "systematic bluffing; enlarging; exaggerating; violating people’s privacy; settling personal feuds; politicising, adding water to the milk; self-satisfaction from clichés; passing in review organised cheering" to say that none of the above-mentioned problems have had any success in solving the regime’s difficulties.

Ayatollah Taheri, a supporter of President Khatami, further addressed in his statement to "non-democratic bodies" which he branded as "mafia bands" and accused them of not only paralysing the reform course but also imprisoning liberal journalists and dissidents. He also denounced the hard line judiciary and the Council of Guardians, whose members are appointed by the leader and decides, without ever explaining, who can be candidate to elections, and condemned the way the foreign policy was conducted, creating a "suspicious image" of the country in the eyes of the outside world and damaged the reputation of Islam".

"How, with which logic or reasoning, under which Islamic law a faqih like Grand ayatollah Montazeri, who is the pride for Islam and Shi’a Muslims must be treated as he is", Mr. Taheri asks, referring to the house arrest conditions imposed to the former heir to the leadership of Islamic Republic.

He then denounces the "officialisation" of the Iranian Shi’a structure as an "independent institution that, during centuries, served as a refuge for the oppressed people and a stronghold against dictatorial rules".

"None of the points mentioned by Ayatollah Taheri are new or not said before, but it is the first time that such a high-ranking cleric dare to raise them so openly at a time that the regime faces challenging threats from all parts, but mainly the young generation", one scholar and political analyst pointed out.

"As a great and most popular revolutionaries, Ayatollah Taheri could not stay idle in the face of mounting difficulties or, as he himself said, explaining them with empty slogans", commented Mr. Fazlollah Salavati, a dissident professor at the Esfahan University who also run a pro-reform publication.

Asked whether Ayatollah Taheri’s statement, which comes days only after a speech by Dr Hashem Aqajari in which he had denounced the rule of low-level clerics, would have any impact on the course of reforms in Iran, Mr. Sho’leh Sa’di, also a follower of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, said he himself has openly stated that having completely failed, the reforms represented by President Khatami are dead.

"Only the implementation of reforms could have saved this system. Both President Khatami and Ayatollah (Ebrahim) Amini, the deputy Speaker of the Experts Assembly, have warned that the regime was exploding. Such statements are the recognition of the realities which society is facing, a society exposed to the situation of calm before the storm", he said, reminding that according to a recent opinion poll, 94 per cent said they were not satisfied with this regime and wanted fundamental changes.