TEHRAN -- Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi issued a statement on Thursday expressing his regret over the incidents that followed the presidential election and advising all sides to practice self-restraint.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi also insisted that all complaints about the presidential election results should be pursued through legal channels.
“Many bitter incidents happened in the days after the magnificent tenth presidential election, and some adventurists took advantage of differences between respected presidential candidates, which caused great regret for every Iranian committed to the system,” the grand ayatollah said in his statement.
All those who participated in the election sought to increase the dignity of their country and therefore “all are victorious and there is no winner or loser,” he observed.
“At this time, when friends and foes are monitoring the situation in our country, we are all obligated to remain totally calm and not allow the adventurists to disturb public order and damage property, and as the Supreme Leader insisted, solve problems through the law,” he stated.
“Moreover,” he said, “efforts must definitely be made to ensure that no smoldering embers remain under the ashes, and to turn the unkindness and pessimism into goodwill, and the competition into friendship and cooperation between all groups.”
Everyone should show self-restraint, try to resolve issues in a logical and wise manner, and “think about the future of the country and the system,” Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi added.
As the situation calms down, initiatives will probably be drawn up to reach a “national a reconciliation” with the help of all scholars, he noted.
Defeated presidential candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi have alleged vote rigging in the June 12 presidential election, a claim rejected by the Interior Ministry, which is responsible for organizing elections.
In response to the complaints of vote fraud, the Guardian Council launched a partial recount of ballot boxes, but in a report posted on the GC website on Friday, the monitoring body said no fraud was discovered.
After the results of the election were announced, some supporters of Mousavi poured into the streets to protest. However, during the street demonstrations in Tehran, some hooligans took advantage of the situation to disturb the peace, set cars on fire, and shatter the windows of banks