Iran: an imminent threat?

I'll keep today's post short--I don't want to bore you with a lengthy lecture. But I would like to mention an issue that is very near and dear to my heart: US Middle Eastern foreign policy. For those who don't know, Iran recently launched a domestically-built satellite into space for the first time. This seemingly innocuous event sparked fear among Western powers, particularly the EU. The main reason for this has to do with the fact that the rocket used to launch the satellite can also be used to fire ballistic missiles. This makes the threat of a nuclear Iran even more imminent, especially in light of their only partially successful ballistic missile test a few months ago. (Remember that Iran has continued to deny the existence of its uranium-refining projects, which could be used to produce nuclear missiles. Though the US, UK, and France have offered incentives for them to disclose details and stop any uranium enrichment, they have refused.) 

Also, a recent report released by the UNSC predicts that the era of US military imperialism is at an end, mostly because of our declining economy and the rise of China. Furthermore, US policy towards Iran is probably going to be more passive for the next four years, because President Obama has shown for more leniency towards the Iranian government than Bush did. 

So, what I am getting at is this: should we be worried? If Iran can produce nuclear missiles in the next five years or so, are they going to start WWIII? 

I'm not entirely sure, but I think the answer is no. The UNSC does include China, so even if the US were out of commission and Iran began making threats there is still a world power to intervene. Also, the US possesses some of the best missile interception technologies in the world--it is unlikely that Iran's primitive missiles could hit us. However, they could smuggle a bomb into the country, which might have potentially catastrophic consequences. But because security around our borders have been beefed up to prevent Al-Queda from doing the same thing, we stand a much better chance against a suitcase bomb type attack you might think. 

There is one scenario I am worried about, though: Iran threatening Israel with nuclear weapons. I am not worried because I fear for Israel--I am afraid what would follow. The US would almost certainly jump to Israel's defense, threatening Iran in turn. If world powers are divided on the issue, a world war (probably a nuclear one) might ensue. 

Overall, it would be best to investigate Iran's nuclear program further and not be too lenient towards the Iranian government. Though a nuclear Iran may not be as dangerous as it appears, we should still take every diplomatic precaution to ensure that Iran does not create nuclear weapons behind our backs.