Washington, June 16: Pitting himself squarely against the Iranian leadership, US President George W. Bush has welcomed the continuing anti-regime protests in Tehran as an "expression of the people for freedom". "I think freedom is a powerful incentive. I believe some day freedom will prevail everywhere, because freedom is a powerful drive for people. It is the beginning of people expressing themselves towards a free Iran, which I think is positive," Bush, who is vacationing in Maine, told reporters when asked about the prevailing unrest in Iran. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets of central Tehran for the sixth straight day today. Sporadic clashes were reported around the Tehran University campus, the focal point of increasingly vitriolic protests that have targeted the very top of the Islamic republic. The protests erupted as US has stepped up pressure against the establishment over its nuclear program and alleged links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network. Bureau Report