"Propagating and disseminating news in support of negotiations with America will be considered a crime in accordance with the press law and in view of Supreme Leader’s (Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i) ban on talks with the US", Tehran's Justice Department on Saturday warned the media in a statement released by the official news agency IRNA.

The statement was accompanied by an authorised commentary read by the leader-controlled Tehran Radio calling the authorities to firmly punish all those who would contravene the leader’s policies.

"Under these conditions, there is no place for talks with America. Of course, provocation by some mean and ignorant elements who talk about opening relation with America and by doing so, insult the dignity and pride of the noble Iranian people must not be overlooked", the commentary said.

In a harsh speech two days ago, ayatollah Khameneh'i attacked the organiser of the seminary, describing those who defend negotiation with the United States as people who "either do not know the alphabet of politics or ignore that of dignity", a direct venom to Mr. Mohsen Mirdamadi, the Chairman of the Majles’ National Security and Foreign Affairs Committee and many other Iranian lawmakers, journalists, scholars and experts who support improving ties with Washington, cut in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution.

On order from Mr, Khameneh’i, the authorities immediately organised demonstrations in the religious city of Qom, 150 kilometres south of Tehran, with hundred demonstrators shouting slogans such as "death to America, death to Israel, death to hypocrites, death to conciliators", and denouncing Mr. Mirdamadi and Mr. Behzad Nabavi in name for having supported opening of dialogue with America.

Several influential conservatives personalities of the regime, like Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini have recently warned openly that the regime risked a "social explosion" while others saw the increasing menace of a "third current" toppling the present system.

Some Iranian analysts both inside and outside Iran seriously suspect Mr. Khameneh'i and his adviser to be seeking an attack by the United States on some Iranian installations alongside the Persian Gulf, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant that is being built by the Russians and which is the subject of a major row between the United States and Russia.

The Saturday communiqué of the Tehran Judiciary while forbids the press and all Iranians about defending dialogue with Washington, leave free the hands and tongues of opponents to write and talk against ties with United States.

"No one from the population, except the leader of the regime, has the right to express views concerning the domestic and foreign relations, as this right belongs to the leader only and is part of his exclusive powers", the communiqué points out, reminding that according to the Constitution, "only the leader has the right of deciding about the regime’s foreign policy, including talking or not talking with the United States or any other country", the communiqué said.

The media and political circles were rife with news and speculations about secret talks between Iranians and Americans.

Though Iranian officials denied the information, yet Mr. Mirdamadi would insist in talks with the press that the meeting did take place and Tehran and Washington continue to meet in different, undisclosed places.

The Press also said that with the leader’s blessing, a committee made of the Secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, Hojjatoleslam Hasan Rohani, leader’s advisor on international affairs Mr. Mohammad Javad Larijani, and Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati, the former Foreign Affairs Minister, had been instructed to study the possibilities and conditions of dialogue with Washington.