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Iranian Opposition leader Mousavi raises his arms as he appears at a rally in Tehran. (AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI)

AFP news agency said Mr Mousavi told a crowd of tens of thousands in Tehran he was ready to take part in a new poll.

Mr Mousavi, who was making his first public appearance since Friday's vote, believes results were rigged in favour of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mr Ahmadinejad has dismissed the claims and says the vote was fair.

The demonstrators gathered in Tehran's Revolution Square, chanting pro-Mousavi slogans as riot police stood by.

"Mousavi we support you. We will die, but retrieve our votes," they shouted, many wearing the green of Mousavi's election campaign.

And Mr Mousavi eventually appeared, addressing the crowd from the roof of his car.

"The vote of the people is more important than Mousavi or any other person," he told his supporters.

His wife, Zahra Rahnavard, a high-profile supporter of her husband's campaign, later said they would keep up their protests. "We will stand until the end," she told the AFP.

Before Mr Mousavi arrived, Reuters reported that his supporters had scuffled with stick-wielding men on motorcycles - apparently supporters of the president.

Following two days of unrest, the interior ministry warned earlier on Monday that "any disrupter of public security would be dealt with according to the law".

'Unacceptable' force

The renewed protests come after Mr Mousavi and fellow defeated candidate Mohsen Rezai filed official complaints against the election result with the Guardian Council - the country's powerful clerical group.

State television reported that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has upheld the election result, urged the Guardian Council to "precisely consider" the complaints.

A spokesman for the 12-member council said they would meet Mr Mousavi and Mr Rezai on Tuesday. They are expected to decide on the complaints by next week.

millions attend protest

Dozens of opposition activists have been arrested since the protests began, while internet sites appear to have been blocked and the media heavily restricted.

A number of countries have expressed concern at the conduct of the election and the subsequent clampdown.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was following the situation closely. "The position of me and the United Nations is that the genuine will of the Iranian people should be fully respected," he told reporters.

EU foreign ministers expressed "serious concern" and called for an inquiry into the conduct of the election.

France and Germany have summoned their Iranian ambassadors to explain what happened.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised the use of "completely unacceptable" force against protesters.

"We are worried about the limitations of media coverage and we believe there should be a transparent evaluation of the election result. There are signs of irregularities," she said.

Groups of Ahmadinejad supporters gathered outside French and British embassies in Tehran, protesting against what they consider to be foreign interference in Iran's affairs.

"We have gathered here to protest the hidden interference of the Brits and the world, who are trying to create chaos in our country," one protester said.

Among the countries congratulating Mr Ahmadinejad on his victory were Iraq, Afghanistan, Venezuela and North Korea.

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