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Iranian soldiers stand near a S-200 surface-to-air missile during military maneuvers. (PHOTO CREDIT: Ali Shayegan/AFP/Getty Images)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

When it comes to Iran's nuclear program... the country just keeps thumbing its nose at the rest of the world.

The Times of London reports it has gotten its hands on secret documents that show Iran is working on testing a key final part for a nuclear bomb. The notes describe a four-year plan to test the component that triggers a nuclear explosion.

It's believed these documents are from 2007 - four years after Iran was thought to have ended its weapons program.

Tehran has repeatedly said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but with these new documents, experts insist there's no possible use for what the Iranians are doing here - except for a nuclear bomb.

The latest revelation will likely increase pressure for tougher UN sanctions... not like it really matters. Iran has already pretty much ignored 3 sets of sanctions meant to curb its uranium enrichment program.

Meanwhile tens of thousands of students filled the streets of Iran for two days last week in the biggest anti-government protests in months. Many protesters shouted slogans against the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and chanted "Death to the Dictator."

The U.S. insists it won't sit by and ignore the protests in Iran... with one top diplomat saying the Iranian people "deserve decent treatment from their government."

Also today - Iran says it will try those three American hikers jailed since crossing the Iraqi border last summer. Iran has accused the Americans of spying - but the U.S. insists they were tourists. Some worry Iran could use them as bargaining chips in nuclear talks.

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

The U.S. will do everything it can to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Tehran's pursuit of nuclear weapons is futile.

The tough talk comes after Clinton annoyed Israel last week when she said the U.S. would cope with a nuclear Iran by arming allies in the region and extending a "defense umbrella." Israel said the U.S. should focus on stopping Iran from getting a weapon, instead of acting like it's a done deal.

Iran insists they are enriching uranium for energy. A lot of people think they're lying.

Meanwhile the U.S. is trying to convince Israel that diplomatic efforts with Iran are worthwhile. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates - who met in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today - says the U.S. hopes to make progress with Iran by September.

President Obama has warned Tehran that it has until the end of the year to show serious progress toward ending its nuclear program.

According to Netanyahu, Gates said the U.S. and Israel see eye-to-eye when it comes to Iran's nuclear threat. Netanyahu stresses "the need to use all means" to stop Iran from getting a weapon. Other Israeli officials have also said that "no option should be removed from the table."

The U.S. is worried that if Israel goes ahead with a pre-emptive strike against Iran - it could create even more problems in the Middle East.

Here’s my question to you: How can the U.S. prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons?

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Vice Pres. Biden poses for a photo with U.S. soldiers at Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad on the Fourth of July. (PHOTO CREDIT: KHALID MOHAMMED/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

There is some question whether Vice President Joe Biden did it again. Over the weekend, Biden said that the U.S. would not stand in the way if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities. Some say this signals a change in U.S. policy - drawing a harder line against Iran.

But the White House said the statement simply maintains what they've always said: That Israel has the right to defend itself.

The Vice President also said that the U.S. remains willing to negotiate with Iran, in spite of the recent violence that erupted in the wake of the contested re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Obama and said he'd wait it out for the rest of this year to see if Iran is willing to talk. When asked if this was the right approach, Vice President Biden did not say whether or not the U.S. agrees with the position, but did say: "Israel can determine for itself - it's a sovereign nation; what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else."

Here’s my question to you: Vice President Biden said Israel is free to set its own course on Iran. What does this mean?

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Supporters of defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate in Tehran. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Ordinary women have been playing an extraordinary role in the events following Iran's disputed election.

The most powerful example - the 26-year-old woman named Neda, who seemed to be only observing a demonstration when she was gunned down in the streets of Tehran with a single bullet to the chest. A crudely shot video of her final moments has been all over the web... instantly making her a martyr.

Neda is a symbol for all women who have become involved in this movement - an image of both the brutality of the regime and the significant role women are playing in fighting it. And there are many more like Neda.

As the protests and clashes with military forces continue, we continue to see images of women on the streets; they wear their scarves and traditional clothing. Some chant, some march, some collect rocks for ammunition against security forces. Riot police have even been seen clubbing women dressed in black robes. Real macho stuff - beating women with clubs.

One 19-year-old woman tells CNN that she's not scared of the security forces - no matter how many times she gets beaten: "When they want to hit me, I say hit. I have been hit so many times and this time it doesn't matter. I just want to help my brothers and sisters." She says women have been out in the streets in larger numbers than men.

One analyst says in the 1979 revolution, the iconic images were those of "bearded men." This time it's young women who are "the vanguards of Iran."

Here’s my question to you: When it comes to Iran, can women ultimately make the difference?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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An Iranian protester stands next to a burning bus during clashes with Iranian police at a demonstration in Tehran. (PHOTO CREDIT: ALI SAFARI/AFP/Getty Images)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Iranian protesters aren't packing up and going home - despite warnings from the government that they should do just that.

Earlier today, the elite Revolutionary Guard warned that people who "disturb the peace and stand up to security forces" would be met with a strong response.

And they meant it... as riot police attacked hundreds of demonstrators with tear gas and fired live bullets into the air to break up one rally in Tehran today. Witnesses also said that helicopters hovered overhead; and they noted heavy police presence in other parts of the city.

The country's highest electoral authority - which has supposedly been investigating allegations of voter fraud - acknowledged that there were voting irregularities in 50-electoral districts. Nonetheless, the council insists the problems don't affect the election results.

But opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi is vowing to keep up the protests - defying the country's supreme leader.

It's impossible to know for sure how many people have been killed and injured in these protests since the Iranian government is severely restricting international media coverage. Reporters Without Borders says 20 journalists have been arrested in the past week, while many others have been kicked out of the country.

Nonetheless, violent amateur videos and pictures continue to make their way out of Iran though social networking websites.

Here’s my question to you: Can the protesters ever prevail in a country like Iran?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

After a week of mostly peaceful protests in Iran - it seems like the demonstrators may now be headed for a showdown with the government. Iran's supreme leader is warning of a crackdown on protesters if they continue their massive street rallies.

Iranian supporters of defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate in Tehran.

The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says opposition leaders will be held accountable for "all the violence, bloodshed and rioting" if they don't stop. He also says the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wasn't rigged, and pretty much ruled out any chance for a new vote.

This leaves supporters of the opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi with two options: either pack up and go home or continue to protest... knowing that things could get ugly.

Khamenei insists Iran won't see another revolution, and that the street protests won't have any impact. But, what if he's wrong?

What if the 70-year-old supreme leader isn't in tune with the majority of Iranians - 70-percent of whom are under 30-yearsold and tech savvy? Already - these protests represent the greatest challenge to Iran's Islamic rulers since the 1979 revolution.

The hundreds of thousands of protesters could end up influencing Iran's relations with nations around the globe - from the U-S to Europe to Israel; not to mention what a revolution in Iran could mean for citizens of neighboring countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Here’s my question to you: What would it mean to the rest of the world if the protesters in Iran are successful?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

When it comes to showing support for thousands of Iranian protesters - critics say President Obama is not doing enough. Republican Congressman Mike Pence has introduced a resolution that would "speak a word of support for the people of Iran."

He says he doesn't think the U.S. should endorse the opposition candidate; but rather show support for protesters who are "risking their lives for free and fair elections."

Also, The New York Times reports that while some senior administration officials like Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton support the president's approach, they too would like to strike a stronger tone of support for the protesters.

But other officials believe a more cautious approach is the way to go... they say harsh criticism of Iran's government or more support for the protesters could end up backfiring - by making it seem like the U.S. is behind these efforts.

Some point out that the president can't only focus on the protesters since there are many issues to worry about when it comes to Iran - including the nuclear one.

Despite President Obama's more muted response to events, the Iranian government is still accusing U.S. officials of meddling. The State Department insists that Washington is withholding judgment about the election and not interfering with Iran's internal affairs.

Here’s my question to you: Should the United States be doing more to help the Iranian people?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Whether or not there's another political revolution in Iran - there's no doubt the country has already witnessed a technological revolution. Iranian officials have been trying to clamp down on the flow of information in all the ways these regimes do - restricting the coverage of western journalists, kicking others out of the country, shutting down web sites.

Iran's officials are trying to restrict the flow of information... but it's not working because of media tools like Facebook and Twitter.

But it's not working this time - and one of the big reasons is social media networks like Twitter and Facebook. Many of the young demonstrators - 70-percent of Iranians are under 30 - have used these technologies as a tool to coordinate their protests over the election's outcome. They're also posting graphic pictures and videos of the crackdown by officials.

The U.S. State Department points to Twitter as one of the ways Iranians can "get the word out," and officials in this country are even following these social networks. In fact, the government contacted Twitter at one point asking them to delay a planned update that would shut the system down temporarily.

Thomas Friedman writes in The New York Times about the diffusion of technology as one of the major factors changing the Middle East. He points to all this stuff - the Internet, blogs, YouTube, cell phone text messaging - as a way for people "to communicate horizontally, to mobilize politically and to criticize their leaders acerbically, outside of state control."

Here’s my question to you: Will technology like Facebook and Twitter eventually help bring down the establishment in Iran?

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A supporter of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi protests in Tehran, Iran. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

President Obama is walking a fine line when it comes to the controversy over Iran's election.

After several days of a cautious response from the White House - the president came out yesterday saying he was deeply troubled by the violence he was seeing on TV and that free speech and the democratic process need to be respected. Nonetheless, he said he wants to respect Iran's sovereignty and that it's up to the Iranian people to decide who their leaders are. Mr. Obama said he's not trying to dictate Iran's internal politics.

Critics are calling on the president to be stronger in his support of the Iranian protesters. House Republican whip Eric Cantor says the administration's "silence in the face of Iran's brutal suppression of democratic rights represents a step backwards for homegrown democracy in the Middle East." Senator John McCain has called the election corrupt and says President Obama should speak out that this is a fraud election.

Also, other foreign leaders have been more forceful in their condemnation, but experts acknowledge that President Obama is in a no-win situation... strong criticism could backfire, while a muted response gives an impression of weakness.

Also, while the president's message of change matches with that of the Iranian protesters - a young and tech-friendly bunch, much like his own campaign... the president doesn't want the U.S. to become the story in Iranian politics.

Adding to the pressure on Washington was the move by Iran today to severely restrict journalists' access to the protest rallies. That has raised speculation the government plans a violent crackdown... on the order of what happened in Tiananmen Square 20 years ago.

Here’s my question to you: How should Washington proceed when it comes to Iran's election controversy?

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Iranian supporters of defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi take part in a rally in Tehran. (PHOTO CREDIT: BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

A lot of people aren't buying the outcome of Iran's elections, which had President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad winning with more than 62 percent of the vote.

Vice President Joe Biden says there's some "real doubt" about the results.

Experts point to many reasons why the elections could have been rigged: There is no independent monitoring, many voters are illiterate and officials help them fill in their paper ballots. There are also no booths, so all of the voting is done in public.

According to the official results - Ahmadinejad won in all regions of the country and among all classes and ages - which is highly unlikely. For example, Ahmadinejad won in cities where he is unpopular; and the opposition leader, Mir Hossein Moussavi, lost among his own ethnic group. Also, there were 40 million votes cast and just two hours after the polls closed, Ahmadinejad's victory was announced. In Iran there are no machines. All the votes have to be hand counted.

Moussavi's supporters have taken to the streets to protest the results - often clashing with police. Iranian media have mostly ignored the protests and international journalists were prevented from covering them. Some reporters have been arrested and others beaten by police.

All this was apparently enough for Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei to allow an investigation into allegations of ballot fraud. A group of top clerics and judges is expected to issue its findings within 10 days.

Here's my question to you: Do you believe Iran's elections were honest?

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