Obama Reluctant to Toughen Stance on Iran: Via NYTimes.com .

WASHINGTON — With Iran on a razor’s edge after a week of swelling protests, the Obama administration has fended off pressure from both parties to respond more forcefully to the disputed election there. But if Iranian authorities carry out their latest threat of a more sweeping crackdown, the White House would reconsider its carefully calibrated tone, officials said Friday.

Administration officials said events this weekend in Tehran — when demonstrators plan to rally in defiance of the authorities — would be a telling indicator of whether President Obama would join European leaders and lawmakers on Capitol Hill in more harshly condemning the tactics of the Iranian government.

Congressional Republicans and conservative foreign-policy experts stepped up their pressure on the White House to take a firmer stand in support of the demonstrators, even as Mr. Obama worked to keep Democrats from breaking openly with him on Iran.
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Iran Arrests Reformers as Huge Protests Continue - WSJ.com: Via Wall Street Journal .

Tehran Accuses U.S. of Seeding Dissent While Opposition Plans New Rallies; Probe Ordered Into Violent Attack on Students

TEHRAN -- Two rival forces are competing for the upper hand in Iran's postelection dispute: public demonstrations in the streets and waves of quiet arrests of dozens of prominent reform and opposition figures.

The Iranian government, meanwhile, accused the U.S. for the first time of interfering in the postelection dispute. Iran protested to the Swiss ambassador, who represents U.S. affairs in Iran because the two nations have no diplomatic ties. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that President Barack Obama stands by his defense of principles such as the right of people to demonstrate.
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The President Meets with Prime Minister Berlusconi, Comments on Iran: Via The White House - Blog Post.

Just before 6:00 this evening, the President emerged from his meeting with Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy, and they fielded questions from the press together.  They discussed the strong alliance between the two countries, demonstrated in their meeting by the Prime Minister's agreement to accept three Guanatanamo prisoners in Italy.  The first question that was asked, not surprisingly, concerned Iran though:
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