Unrest continued in the streets of Iran as a leading cleric said leaders of the protest were "worthy of execution."

"Anyone who takes up arms to fight with the people, they are worthy of execution," senior cleric Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami said. "We ask that the judiciary confront the leaders of the protests, leaders of the violations, and those who are supported by the United States and Israel strongly, and without mercy to provide a lesson for all."

Violence erupted on the streets of Tehran after the June 12 presidential election, in which election leaders proclaimed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner. Many protesters accused the Iranian government of a rigging the election.

Khatami also called for harsh consequences for persistent protestors in support of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.

"Anybody who fights against the Islamic system or the leader of Islamic society, fight him until complete destruction," he said during a sermon at Tehran University June 19.

At least 17 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in the ongoing protests.

Mousavi said Thursday he would seek government approval for future protests against the election results.  

He has not led a public rally in more than week and is staying out of the public eye. He is also using his Web site to urge supporters not to break the law.
    
Still, Mousavi insists he will not drop his challenge to Ahmadinejad's presidential election victory.

The Iranian government has significantly blocked media access to the country. But images of the protests have been posted on YouTube and other social networking sites by eyewitnesses in Iran.

Sources: Associated Press, Fox News