Football: Dancing in the streets of Tehran

Though there was no evidence of drunken revelry, Iranian football fans enjoyed a wild party in the wake of their national side's unexpected qualification for the World Cup finals with the victory over Australia on the away goals rule.

Millions poured into the streets, dancing on car tops and passing out sweets and flowers. In the capital, Tehran, traffic came to a halt. In Vali Asr Square, motorists turned up their car stereos on full blast as teenagers danced on tops of public buses.

Florists and bakeries ran out of stock, with fans passing out sweets and flowers to passers-by in the traditional Iranian manner of celebration.

"It's been a great day for me," Syed Hossein, a beggar in Tehran, said. "I've earned 100,000 rials [pounds 20] in just half an hour. People are so happy that they're just tossing money at me."