Rivals rout Ahmadinejad

Supporters of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have been reduced to a small fraction in Iran’s legislature, according to final results from a runoff parliamentary election announced today.

Supporters of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have been reduced to a small fraction in Iran’s legislature, outnumbered by the conservatives who once backed him but then turned against him after he was perceived to challenge the authority of top clerics, according to final results from a runoff parliamentary election announced today.

Iran has touted the turnout for Friday’s vote as a show of support for the country’s religious leadership in their confrontation with the West over Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme.