Hardliners in Iran rebuked by spiritual leader

Hardliners in Iran have suffered a rare public rebuke from the country's supreme spiritual leader, a day after reformists were banned from contesting next month's presidential election.

State radio said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued an official decree for the Guardian Council - an unelected body vetting all those standing for public office - to rethink its disqualification of two reformists from the poll on June 17.

The council rejected all but six of the 1014 potential candidates.