Reacting to the mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers who've accused him of being too passive on Iran, Obama addressed the violent crackdown on Tuesday, saying the U.S. and the entire world are "appalled and outraged" by the brutal efforts to crush dissent.

For the first time, the president also expressed doubt about the legitimacy of the election results which spurred the upheaval. He went on to warn that the way the country responds to the continuing protests will shape its relationship with other countries, including the U.S.

Women in the struggle

Women in particular are playing a large role in the protests. One in particular is becoming a symbol for all women involved in the turmoil.

In a widely circulated video, Neda is seen in the middle of the protests when she is shot and drops to the ground. Blood runs from the side of her mouth as people press on her chest and shout her name. The camera closes in on her face as her eyes roll back and are still.

"She will become the image of this brutality and the role -- the truly significant role -- that women have played in fighting this regime," Abbas Milani, the director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University told CNN.

In another act of outright defiance, a woman walked down a street in Tehran in a revealing dress and displaying her long hair. In Iran, women must cover their hair and body except for their face and hands and they must not use cosmetics. Punishments range from a verbal reprimand to 74 lashes with a whip to imprisonment for one month to a year. Stoning to death is a legal form of punishment for sexual misconduct.

But many women appear undeterred. Some even say that women are out in the streets in much larger numbers than men.

One 19-year-old demonstrator told CNN, "Until now, the women didn't have a chance to express themselves, to say that we are important in our country's future. But now, they can play an important role in our freedom. It's a good chance for us."

When asked if she is optimistic, she says, "I'm absolutely optimistic, because history has taught me that all revolutions start like this. Every revolution has violence and some people die, but nothing stays like this forever."

Iran Update: June 21, 2009

Last week, we gave you the full run down on what’s been going on in Iran since the June 12th election. Today protesters took to the streets again today after they were warned by the Revolutionary Guards that they would encounter a “revolutionary confrontation” if they kept protesting the presidential election results.

The protests defy the orders of the Supreme Leader of Iran but even after the Guards issued the warning, hundreds of protesters gathered in the center of Tehran and were met by the police, who used tear gas and fired guns into the air to get the crowd to scatter. There are reports that the police presence in Tehran is “massive.”

There have been other developments besides continued protesting. Iran’s highest government panel, which monitors election results, did admit that the number of votes cast in 50 cities were more than the actual number of voters in these cities, a sure sign of election fraud.

Authorities were quick to add that these facts don’t violate Iranian election laws. The Guardian Council said it’s not yet certain whether the votes in question would change the result of the election, and as of now, there is no re-count or new election planned.

So will they keep protesting? Although protesters have dwindled in numbers, the likely answer is yes. And they will face the Revolutionary Guards, member of the Basij militia, and regular police security forces. Revolutionary Guards have also called protests a “conspiracy” against Iran and have been arresting protesters, so the stakes are definitely getting higher. Still, the leader of the protesters, Mir Hussein Moussavi, who is also the candidate who believes the election was unfairly taken from him, has encouraged people to keep protesting.

Iranian lawmakers have said that his calling for protests are illegal and add up to criminal acts, so Moussavi may be faced with arrest along with the protesters.