Berlin - Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Friday that he does not expect the current protests in Iran to bring down the regime which has existed since the Islamic Revolution 30 years ago.

"During the campaign we followed the debate between the reformist candidate and President Ahmadinejad very closely," Frattini told German broadcaster Deutschlandfunk on Friday.

"Honestly I do not think that this system and regime will end with a victory of a reformist candidate. Some important changes may emerge afterwards. But with respect to the nuclear programme, the present system in Iran has a hermetic and unified attitude."

He also does not believe that Iran will become less stable. "Iran has shown and is showing that ten of thousands of citizens want considerable changes. And this is a sign of vital power." (dpa)