Iran's reformist former president Mohammad Khatami called on the authorities to hold a referendum on the legitimacy of the government after the country's disputed June presidential vote, a website reported.

"The only way out of the current situation is to hold a referendum (on the government's legitimacy)," Khatami was quoted as saying by a website close to him.

"People should be asked whether they are happy with the current situation? ... If the vast majority of people are happy with the current situation, we will accept it as well," he said.

Opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi along with Khatami and some other officials say the June presidential vote, in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a second-term, was rigged. Authorities deny the charge. - Reuters