Three suicide car bombings killed dozens in Iraq this weekend. Though no one has taken credit for the attacks, which targeted foreign embassies, Rod Nordland, foreign correspondent for The New York Times says it's widely believed that al Qaida of Mesopotamia is to blame.

Iran's nuclear chief says the country will begin enriching uranium to twenty percent strength — up from 3.5 percent, and build ten new nuclear facilities over the next year. While the construction of that many facilities in one year is probably not achievable, and while it takes ninety percent enrichment to make a nuclear bomb, the reaction from the United States and France was swift and harsh: The two nations called for even more sanctions on Iran. We ask how great the threat of a nuclear Iran really is.

Since the disputed presidential elections in Iran over the summer, there have been a series of protests, the latest, on Sunday, ending in at least 8 fatalities. How does today’s unrest in Iran compare – if it does at all – to the demonstrations which preceded the Iranian Revolution 30 years ago in 1979? We talk with Baqer Moin, the former head of the BBC Persian Service, and Hamid Dabashi, a professor of Iranian studies at Columbia University, about whether the country is headed for another revolution.

We're watching the story unfold in Tehran today, where student protestors have gathered to express their opposition to the government.  Our partner, the BBC, is reporting that riot place have fired live ammunition and used tear-gas and batons against the anti-government protestors. We talk with Hamid Dabashi, professor of Iranian studies and comparative literature at Columbia University.

On Sunday, a suicide bomber killed at least 42 people in Iran, including five senior commanders of the powerful Revolutionary Guard. The Sunni guerilla group Jundallah, or 'Soldiers of God,' claimed responsibility for the attack.  This was the deadliest attack against this elite unit since a bombing in February 2007, which was also claimed by the same group. Despite Jundallah's claims, Iran is blaming the United States for the attacks. We dig into this accusation with Professor Hamid Dabashi, professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University.

Tens of thousands of people gathered at Tehran University to hear Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speak. Despite Khamenei's assurances that the election was fair, and his urging to stay off the streets, protests continued. Joining us for an overview is Professor Hamid Dabashi, professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University, and author of Iran: A People Interrupted and Islamic Liberation Theology: Resisting the Empire.

Watch a clip from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's address below.

Our partners at the BBC are reporting that "eyewitnesses in Tehran say that thousands of people, many dressed in black, have gathered in a square in the south of the city." Joining The Takeaway this morning and following the protests closely is Professor Hamid Dabashi, Professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia and the author of Iran: A People Interrupted and Islamic Liberation Theology: Resisting the Empire.

View scenes from the protests in Iran in the video below.

President Obama has said "it is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be." This stance has riled some Republicans who are urging the president to show solidarity with Moussavi supporters. To explain his view, The Takeaway is joined by Congressman Mike Pence, Republican from Indiana and Chairman of the House Republican Conference. He has introduced a resolution in Congress to express support for the protesters. We also have Professor Hamid Dabashi, a professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University and author of Iran: A People Interrupted, for his take.

Mir Hossein Mousavi is the public face of Iran's protest movement. His supporters claim he was the real winner of the election that returned President Ahmadinejad to power. But who is Mousavi, really? Would he differ from Ahmadinejad on the issues of nuclear development or Israel? We turn to Professor Hamid Dabashi, professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University and author of Iran: A People Interrupted and Islamic Liberation Theology: Resisting the Empire.

Tehran braces for another day of protests today despite governmental bans on "unauthorized gatherings." To help us analyze the protests and draw parallels to the past is an expert on Iranian history and politics, Hamid Dabashi, a professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University and the author of Iran: A People Interrupted and Islamic Liberation Theology: Resisting the Empire. We will also talk to Ali, a 25-year old mechanical engineer in Tehran, who is a supporter of opposition candidate Mir Hussein Mousavi.