Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Though the White House released a written statement Saturday in which President Obama used his strongest language to date to condemn what he called a "violent and unjust" government crackdown on protesters, critics say he needs to show more leadership on the issue.
Iran's disputed presidential elections have revealed and accentuated rifts among the clerical leadership.
Violence in the aftermath of Iran’s election has raised questions about the future of the regime, and about the way the Obama administration should respond to this controversial situation.
Continuing unrest following allegations of fraud in Iran's presidential election has created a leadership crisis for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
The continued unrest in Iran has called into question how different Mousavi's policies would be compared to Ahmadinejad.
Iranian protests in the past have always pitted the people against the regime. Demonstrations over the presidential election outcome are different because of the unprecedented fissures amongst the revolutionary elite themselves.
The Obama administration has wisely taken a cautious approach to reacting to the unrest in Iran and allegations of election fraud.
The surprise announcement that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won outright the first round of Iran’s presidential election has been met with widespread allegations of fraud and domestic unrest.
A recent heated televised debate between Iran's two leading presidential candidates and accusations of corruption by President Ahmadinejad toward leading clerics, have called into question whether the incumbent still has the backing of Iran's conservative political establishment.
With both Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Mir Hossein Mousavi declaring victory in the first few hours into the election on Friday, the incumbent's future remains uncertain, even with the endorsement of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.