As the conditions in Iraq deteriorate and the Bush Administration awaits General Petraeus’s Iraq report due on September 15, 2007, the rise of Iran becomes more vivid.  Elimination of the Taliban to the East and Saddam to the West has left Iran as the major power in the region.  After fighting Israel to a standstill last summer, Iran’s client, Hezbollah, has emerged as the dominant political force in Lebanon.  Many now foresee the rise of Shiite power across the Arab crescent.  With the wind at its back, Iran’s nuclear program is on track to cross the point of no return this year.