"Death to America, death to Great Britain," theology students who gathered inside Feyzieh seminary (theology school) chanted.

Najaf and Karbala are the holiest sites in Shiite Islam, after Mecca and Medina, being the burial places of Ali and Hossein, whom Shiites consider the true successors of the prophet Mohamed.

More than 60 percent of Iraqi population and 90 percent of Iranian people are Shitte Muslims.

"We do not support Saddam, we support innocent Iraqi people," said one of the lecturers, loudly applauded by the crowd chanting "Death to Saddam".

Similar demonstrations were organised in seminaries in other cities.

In Tehran, young seminarists gathered in Marvi theology school and marched on the British Embassy, interspersing their cries of "Death to US, death to Great Britain", with chants of "Death to Saddam", said an AFP journalist at the scene.

The demonstrators also chanted slogans calling for the "closure of the British embassy" and "the expulsion of British diplomats".

The protestors dispersed peacefully after half an hour.

The embassy has been the scene of anti-war demonstrations since US-led coalition began their assault on Iraq on March 20. Hundreds of protesters hurled stones at the embassy on March 28, breaking several windows.

Four days later a car carrying containers of petrol and diesel slammed into the walls of the embassy compound and exploded. The Iranian foreign ministry claimed it was an accident.

SPACE.WIRE