Tehran, 4 Nov. (AKI) - Violent clashes were reported in the Iranian capital,Tehran, on Wednesday when security forces broke up a protest by supporters of reformist opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi. Reformist websites said dozens of protesters were arrested during a demonstration in the city's central Haft-e Tir square.

The reformist 'Balatarin' website said that some 50 protesters were arrested in clashes during which police and pro-government Basiji militias used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters.

Security forces also opened fire on protesters, according to unconfirmed reports.

Twenty opposition supporters were arrested and several injured in clashes with protesters in the central Iranian city of Shiraz, according to the 'Rah-e sabz' reformist website.

Another Iranian opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi, was reportedly among those injured in clashes between the protesters, police and pro-government Basiji militia members, according to opposition websites and blogs, citing eye witnesses.

Karroubi's son, Mohammad Taghi Karroubi, said his father was burned in the face when he was sprayed with tear gas, the US-backed Radio Farda reported.

One of Karroubi's body guards was injured in the head and two others suffered bruising, the station said.

Iran's state news agency IRNA said protesters had set fire to rubbish bins and attacked a bus, and that two policemen had been injured.

Reformist website, Mowjcamp and Arabic satellite TV network Al-Arabiya reported Mousavi also briefly attended the protest. It was the first time the Dubai-based network had been allowed to cover a protest since the unrest that followed Iran's contested June presidential election.

Iranian authorities imposed a ban on foreign media during the wave of protests organised by opposition supporters who allege the ballot was rigged to ensure the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

At least 30 protesters have been killed in clashes since the 12 June election and thousands arrested. Some 200 opposition activists remain behind bars. Three have been sentenced to death.

The opposition protest took place 1.5 kilometres from an official anti-western rally held to mark the 30th anniversary of the United States embassy siege in Tehran.

A total 52 US diplomats were taken hostage at the embassy during the siege and held for 444 days by Islamist students backing the Iranian Revolution.

At Wednesday's rally, which was broadcast on state TV, thousands of supporters of Ahmadinejad could be seen parading in central Tehran.

Iranian MP Hadad Adil addressed the rally, describing the storming of the US embassy on 4 November 1979 as "a great victory for the Islamic Revolution."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards had warned opposition groups not to stage demonstrations on the anniversary.