One thing that we are facing is a nuclear MiddleEast not just Iran but Saudi Arabia and other MiddleEastern countries are looking to nuclear deterrence. If action isn’t taken on Iran then the MiddleEast will become a nuclear powder keg.
I think you are right. The other unspoken truth is that the U.S. will not allow nuclear proliferation into the other Middle Eastern countries. This is something that Rice and Bush cannot state or put on paper without losing allies, but it is tacitly understood by all [except perhaps the liberals].