Is U.S. president trying to be Iranian foil or silent accomplice?

He also tried Tuesday to inoculate himself against political attack, accusing critics of failing to see the big picture.

“I know everybody here is on a 24-hour news cycle,” Obama told reporters. “I am not.”

Opening a rare midday news conference, the president issued his strongest statement against the actions of the Iranian regime. “No iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice,” Obama said.

For the first time, Obama expressed significant doubt about the legitimacy of the national election at the root of the upheaval. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi claims he was the true winner of the June 12 voting, but the electoral commission declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won by a landslide, touching off days of violent protests.

Obama evoked the searing video image of a dying young woman whose shooting has been circulated in Iran and around the world.

“While this loss is raw and painful, we also know this: Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history,” Obama said.

The Internet-savvy president also knows this: The 26-year-old woman, Neda Agha Soltan, has become a symbol of the anti-government movement.

Obama's opening remarks were no accident. They were written and distributed in advance of the news conference to ensure that the president struck the right balance between outrage and statesmanship.

Obama candidly explained his strategy: Deplore the actions of the regime without becoming “a foil for the Iranian government” that wants to “blame what's happening on the streets of Tehran on the CIA or the White House.”

Obama does not want to give rhetorical ammunition to be used against the protesters. On the other hand, not saying enough — being too cautious — risks backlash in the United States.

Conservatives and liberals have criticized Obama for not speaking out more forcefully. Asked if his opening statement was influenced by those critics, particularly former Republican rival Sen. John McCain, Obama quipped, “What do you think?”

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