In an unprecedented statement published Wednesday and addressed to the "Iranian people", the outspoken Friday Preacher of the central city of Esfahan almost indicted the Islamic Republic on some 38 "charges", including widespread corruption in high levels, lavish way of life of the ruling clerics using "poor people’s money", vesting the nation’s wealth on luxurious foreign trips "void of any interest", jockeying for power and plundering of the people by the relatives of the ruling gang and "usurpation" of the regime by a gang of "fascist clerics".

Ayatollah Taheri said he had decided to resign from the position of Friday Prayers leader, conferred to him thirty years ago by the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Grand Ayatollah Roohollah Khomeini, to protest an appalling situation the leaders of the present regime have created for both Iran and Islam, saying that "When I remember the promises and pledges of the beginning of the revolution, I tremble like a willow thinking of my faith".

However, pro-reform political organisations and students have voiced strong support for the harsh criticism formulated by Ayatollah Taheri, a former student and then associate of Ayatollah and also of Grand Ayatollah Hoseinali Montazeri, who has been placed under house arrest on orders from Mr. Khameneh'i.

Describing Ayatollah Taheri’s letter as a "dangerous bombshell", religious scholars said considering the cleric’s religious rank as a "marja’ taqlid", or source of imitation, his statement must be considered as a fatwa and therefore must be carried out by all Muslims.

"The Ayatollah disclosed to the people the instrumental misuse of religion for the sake of political power," added the IIPF, which is headed by Dr.Mohammad-Reza Khatami, the younger brother of President Mohammad Khatami and has the majority in the Majles, or Iranian parliament.

The letter-indictment was distributed by the independent Students News Agency ISNA and reproduced by some pro-reform newspapers Thursday, but conservatives-controlled newspapers downplayed it and some of them, like "Resalat", questioned its authenticity.

"If the current unpleasant phase continues then the system will lose all its legitimacy and the gap between people and rulership will further widen", said the OCU, whose head and other members are still jailed.

"How many times should you repeat the same promises for people and hold conferences and meeting for innocent society, snubbing their problems and inflict high costs of your foreign trips and luxurious life on people?" Taheri asked the political ruling figures.

He called depression, unemployment, inflation and economic stagnation that are aroused of political and economic corruption a powerful force, which is stored behind a dam ready to devastate everything.

"Hypocrisy, boasting and cheating people couldn’t be the solution for a huge amount of problems that are suffocating the nation", Ayatollah Taheri warned.

In an unusual effort aimed at stopping the fire reaching the powder barrel, Ayatollah Khameneh'i, known for his arrogance, vulgar language and fragility to any kind of criticism, reminded Mr. Taheri that he also had "warned the officials about these facts on numerous occasions, and called on them to pool their efforts and capabilities to fight poverty, corruption and discrimination".

"The US government, in order to realise its threats against Iran, is in dire need of a firm popular base to take revenge on the revolution, Islam, and emam (Khomeini) and re-establish a government similar to the dictatorship of the Pahlavi regime. This is a futile and idiotic dream, as their ever repeating wrong analysis of Iran's affairs, which brings about nothing but despair and frustration for them", Ayatollah Khameneh'i assured.

But in order to dissipate any doubt that he considers Mr. Taheri as a traitor to the Islamic revolution and the regime, he added: "Since I know you and your efforts in support of the revolution, I personally did not draw that kind of conclusion from the letter attributed to you, but nonetheless, we all have to be alert against our deeds and sayings, so that they will not be misinterpreted by our foes", the leader said, regretting that "all enemies of the Islamic revolution fed by the USA and Israel benefited mostly from it", he added.

Analyst said the leader offered an olive branch to Ayatollah Taheri in expressing doubt about the authenticity of the blistering indictment, saying it was "attributed to him", but at the same time he reminded Taheri that his remarks had been exploited by enemies such as the United States and Israel.

Analysing Mr. Khameneh'i’s reply, Hojjatoleslam Ahmad Qabel, a religious scholar and researcher noted while Ayatollah Taheri turns his wrath to leader-controlled organs like the Council of Guardians or the Judiciary, Ayatollah Khameneh'i consider the government of President Khatami as the chief culprit.

Ayatollah Khameneh’i stressed the importance of the support of the "pious and selfless" Iranian people for the revolution, Islam and the late emam (Ayatollah Khomeini), and asked all the officials to "avoid remarks, which might be misused by internal and external enemies", according to the official news agency IRNA, which distributed the leader’s letter to Mr. Taheri despite the Supreme Council for National Security’s order to all medias to avoid publishing anything in support or against Ayatollah Taheri.

Hence, the closure of the independent daily "Azad" (Free), on orders from the leader-controlled Judiciary, for having published the full text of Ayatollah Taheri’s statement, ignoring the paper’s editor explaining that the SCNS’s decision, faxed to the media, had reached the paper hours after it had been printed. "Aftab Yazd" (Sun of Yazd), which had also printed the statement, stopped the paper to be distributed while "No Rooz", the leading pro-reform newspaper, came out with large segments left blank, the text of the statement being withdrawn from the paper’s front and inside pages.

Mr. Salamatian, speaking to the Persian service of the BBC, said this passage of the leader’s letter is tantamount to a bold warning to the dissident cleric, telling him that not only he and his family and entourage might be reserved the same situation as that of Mr. Montazeri, but also they could face very offending charges, like some of those he levelled in his statement against the present officials, in case he continues his accusations.

Ayatollah Khameneh'i said while he can forgive any "unfaithfulness" to himself, but he could not forgive it when applied to the "great people of Iran or aimed at weakening the foundation of the sacred Islamic system".

Analysts said this may explain why Ayatollah Khameneh'i decided to reply personally to Ayatollah Taheri, despite the fact that the latter’s statement had been addressed to the Iranian nation and without ever mentioning the leader by name.

"Both the leader’s letter and the SCNS’s decision are aimed at bringing the situation quickly under control, for, it seems that Ayatollah Taheri’s statement has encouraged some political and religious circles to adopt new and quite daring tones, thus precipitating a situation some conservative clerics like Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini have described as "explosive", one observer said.

The leader asked Hojjatoleslam Haj Seyed Ali Qazi Askar and Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Taqi Rahbar, substitute Friday leaders of Esfahan, to lead the prayers and also called on the people of the city to keep calm during the Friday prayers ceremony and avoid any slogan or action which could lead to tension and discord.