Authoritative and fast on all aspects of disputed Iran election

Reuters coverage of Iran’s presidential election and its aftermath told the world in real time what was happening, what may follow and what it could mean for Iran’s domestic political landscape and its relations with the West. Reuters clients got the key alert as votes were counted 30 minutes before other news providers caught up. At 02:39 GMT on Saturday June 13, Reuters put out the headline “Ahmadinejad takes unassailable lead in Iran’s presidential vote - election commission figures show”. The key alert from the opposition Mousavi says he “strongly protests many obvious violations” in vote. The statement reached Reuters clients two hours before the competition put out a similar headline. As the story unfolded, Reuters provided clients with rapid fire analysis and the views of experts. That was the start of a tumultuous period, with tens of thousands of Iranians taking to the streets to protest against the election result and armed militia cracking down hard. Besides providing fast cover of developments, Reuters analysed them in depth and drew on the experience and expertise of reporters in Beirut, London, Dubai and Washington — looking at the implications for Iran, the region, relations with the United States and potential impact on oil markets. When Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a speech at Friday prayers on June 19 - the first since the unrest began - Reuters gave clients the alerts they needed, sifting through the two-hour delivery to pick out the key utterances - a stern warning to protesters to stop, 100 percent backing of Ahmadinejad and his policies and a refusal to overturn the vote. There was an instant analysis and full-length analysis - Khamenei signals showdown with Iran opposition. Events over the weekend showed just how accurate that prediction was.