One of those defeated in Isfahan, the second largest city and a religiously conservative one, was the former intelligence minister Ali Fallahian.

Iran's intelligence minister went on state television to accuse Pirmoazen of treason-a death penalty offense-and threaten him with arrest should he return to Iran.

Mr. Fallahian is a murky figure who worked as the intelligence minister for eight years under Mr. Rafsanjani.

Both the defense and intelligence ministers looked at the photos and then shook their heads.

Ali Yunesi, the intelligence minister at the time, said those arrested in Khuzestan were mainly "young, innocent people" who had been provoked by "real criminals".

The intelligence minister, Ali Yunesi, gave no indication of who the assailants were, or their possible motive.

They confessed that they were trained by these intelligence services," said Iran's intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi.

Thus the dismissive comment by Ali Yunesi, Iran's powerful intelligence minister, that the very idea of US military action was "psychological warfare".

The proposed interior, cultural and intelligence ministers are well-known conservatives.

Swiss magistrates later issued an international arrest warrant for a former Iranian intelligence minister, Ali Fallahian.