Associate Press Writer

When a blackout darkened Tehran and other parts of Iran, word spread: U.S. planes had attacked a power plant.

It wasn't true _ authorities blamed the April 1 blackout on technical problems. But the rumor persisted, along with claims that an unidentified flying object was seen over Iran, presumably taking photos of targets.

It's no surprise the rumors spread quickly, given the mood. Nerves have been frayed in Iran since war broke out next door.

There are many reasons. The bombing of Iraq brought back frightening memories of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Some Iranians feared their country _ branded part of an "Axis of Evil" along with Iraq and North Korea by President George W. Bush _ might also face attack.

Stray missiles lobbed by both Iraq and allied forces have landed in Iranian territory, adding to the tension.

And there is no respite from graphic media coverage of the war in Iraq. Newspapers and television screens have been filled with pictures of terrified Iraqi children, blood gushing from a wounded head, an arm or foot missing, flies swarming around injured faces.

Torn between enmity for both Iraq and the United States, the Iranian government has chosen neutrality, while declaring it opposed the war.

But state-run Iranian television channels describe the Anglo-American forces as "aggressors" and have taken a clearly pro-Iraqi position.

Coinciding with the beginning of the war, Iran launched the World Channel, or Alam, a 24-hour Arabic television news station that offers live reports from all over Iraq.

Under the slogan "War of Domination," the channel portrays invading U.S. and British troops in Iraq as occupiers.

Farsi language TV channels mix clips of wounded Iraqis and destroyed buildings from the current conflict with World War II era footage of U.S. planes dropping bombs and a soundtrack from the movie "Dracula."

As much as they dislike and distrust Saddam for waging war on Iran in the 1980s, Iranian sympathy now is with his people; anger at the United States is growing. Some have even expressed admiration for Saddam.

"I am very impressed with Saddam for standing up to the Americans," said 78-year-old Fatemeh, who gave only one name.

Farzan Sadjadi, a 25-year-old painter, said he would defend his country if the United States ever attacked. He said nationalism would prevail even among those who claim they favor an American invasion to change the regime here, which has failed to respond to popular calls for democratic reform and social opening.

Minoo, who identified herself by one name only, said she was among those who had hoped the United States would turn to Iran next. She said she has changed her mind after seeing what she had thought would be a clean, quick war on Iraq drag on.

"We don't want people to get killed" in Iran as the price for regime change, Minoo said.

Roya, a 24-year-old graphic artist, says the war in Iraq has revived memories of her childhood, and the Iraqi bombings of Tehran.

"Every night I dream the Iraqis are attacking us," she said. "The scenes that the TV shows of Basra are exactly like those of our Khorramshahr (a southern Iranian port city occupied by Iraqis in early 1980s). They put us through so much suffering."