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I was surprised to even see the question asked here, as I believed this to be so obvious as to be in general acceptance.

Muslims have few heroes. They were handed their ass in three wars with Israel, and in turn developed the martyr strategy to both redirect attention away from the lavish lifestyles of the ruling classes, and to assuage damaged pride. The ideas have taken root to the effect that many, including Bin Laden himself, believe that terrorist attacks, which amount to no more than a pinprick on the global strategic scale, can actually achieve a Muslim victory.

In any event, any person or entity who stands up to the United States, Israel, western cultures, or the UN, any of those who supported Israel in any way and "robbed the Muslims of their god given victory", is afforded much status and sympathy by the general Muslim population.

Iran has to generate as much of this kind of sympathy now as is possible, for two interrelated reasons. One, because they know thatr Bush cannot react right now, not for lack of troops, but to avoid the warmonger label and a firestorm of controversy just before the election. Two, in hopes of swinging the election to kerry if Bush so much as utters a hostile word.

That Bush fully understands this is evident from the restraint shown so far. Iran has trained suicide bombers and deployed them to Iraq, we have many of them in custody, and they announced to the world that they were doing so.

No response from Bush.

Iran has funded Moqtada al Sadr, no response from Bush.

Six hundred of Al Qaeda's people are in Iran, congregated at the nuclear sites Iran bulldozed over to hide, no response from Bush.

Iran has openly and directly threatened military action against the US and against Israel, right up to and including massing four divisions on the Iraq/Iran border above Khorramshar, no response from Bush.

Shiploads of Iranian missiles headed for Israel, no response from Bush.

You can draw one of two conclusions. That Bush is blissfully unaware of any issue involving Iran, or that he has a plan of his own and isn't talking about it.

An old saw, about working men in general, when they're complaining, all is well. When they go silent, watch out.

Bush isn't talking, because he's too busy. Afghanistan fell, Iraq fell, and the troops for Iran are even now being drawn down from across the globe.

Unrealized to just about all involved, the Al Qaeda/Iran/Saudi billionaire alliance is working themselves into a corner. I don't know who's formulating policy on the enemy side, but it certainly isn't a general or anyone else who can read a map.

Iran is currently surrounded on three sides, west by US forces in Turkey, Iraq and the Persion Gulf, south by US Naval forces in the Arabian Sea, and east by US forces in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. This is no accident. Afghanistan went first after 9/11 only because of the American public's perception that Bin Laden and Al Qaeda's headquarters were there. Iraq, while an attractive target on it's own, was strategically only a stepping stone. You can't drive on Tehran with 23 unopposed Iraqi divisions on your left flank. Not while Saddam's in power.

Who has been a state sponsor of terrorism for more than three decades, running both Hezbollah and Hamas, executing terrorist operations in Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, South America, Europe, and now Iraq< housing Imad Mugniyah until only recently, providing safe haven for Al Qaeda?

Who has demonstrated chemical and biological weapons programs in effect right now today?

Who has functioning nuclear reactors, heavy water plants, enrichment programs?

What countries fit the above description, and are controlled by an admittedly hardline Islamist government, and run their people out in the streets at least twice a year to chant "Death to America"?

Only one country fits this bill, and none of the above information is new or astonishing. Every piece of the puzzle was in place long before 9/11, and was certainly available to any strategist planning a Global War on Terror in the days after 9/11.

Iran is and always has been HVT Number One, since no later than 9/13. Understanding this, just about every question relating to the war in Iraq is answered.

Militarily, it's always been Iran.

When Tehran falls, Damascus will follow within weeks, perhaps even hours. Syria will be geographically, economically, militarily, and politically isolated on a global scale. The flip-flop will make a combined Kerry and Qadaffi look like pillars of stability, and then...

The....bank.....stands alone, with the oil undamaged.

But militarily, Iran has made an absolutely devastating mistake. The kind of mistake that will turn a rout, like Iraq, into a devastation, a killed, or captured and interrogated to the very last man final defeat.

By their own hand, the absolute last avenue for escape is now closed, or soon will be, by a force so angered by the deliberate, preplanned, slaughter of its children that it really doesn't even know its angry yet, not to any degree even approaching what the rage will become over the next days and weeks.

Iran is now completely and totally surrounded.

There is no place left to run.