The Iran issue is coming to a head.

On the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian Supreme Leader announced his country would deliver a “punch” to the world that would stun world powers. It is a matter of time before knowing what exactly he is referring to, and this message comes hours following an Iranian decision to notify nuclear watchdogs that the country would produce higher enriched uranium.

This activity comes on the heels of calls for increased sanctions on Iran, with world leaders and key congressional figures all urging for a tougher posture on the Shi’ite country. House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Howard Berman (D-CA), who has pushed legislation that would impose tougher sanctions, said in a statement:

“With this move Iran is only escalating the situation over its nuclear activities into a crisis… It should be abundantly clear to all that Tehran is not interested in a diplomatic resolution on anything other than its own terms, which will inevitably lead to a nuclear weapons capability. This is another reason for the U.N. Security Council to act swiftly so that strong sanctions can placed on Tehran. As Congress moves toward sending a sanctions bill to the White House, we will be very focused on the international community’s response to Iran’s rejection of any diplomatic resolution of this issue.”

However, clamor from Washington and Jerusalem has been somewhat quiet, with the lack of outrage potentially signalling a pending strike. There are various military options, including joint Israeli-American operations that would involve the use of Israeli fighters and bombers refueled by Americans. Or, Israel could use Iraqi airspace with an ‘OK’ from the U.S. Or, the Israelis could use Saudi airspace. I’ve detailed these plans in previous posts and it remains to be seen what approach the international community will take on Iran and whether a military option is used. And in that case, what role do both the U.S. and Israel play?