For the first time since 2005, most Americans no longer consider Iran to be America’s “Enemy No. 1.” According to a Gallup poll, the percentage of Americans who consider Iran to be the nation’s archenemy peaked in 2012 at 32 percent. Today the number stands at 16 percent. The percentage has significantly declined over time in large part because of the election of Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s new “moderate” president.

Rouhani’s charm offensive is working. From the beginning, the moderate image of the Iranian president has been plastered over the media. The fact that he served as a member of Ayatollah Khomeini’s personal entourage in France in 1979 has been overlooked by most media sources. Rouhani’s religious bias has also been underplayed. Unlike his predecessor, Rouhani is a cleric, meaning that religion plays a far greater role in his policy making.

Then there is Rouhani’s time as chief nuclear negotiator. From 2003 to 2005, Rouhani was the chief nuclear negotiator in Iran. In 2003, he negotiated a deal with the United Nations to suspend uranium enrichment. This was no breakthrough or momentous occasion. The enrichment didn’t stop. In fact, under the pretense of being willing to compromise—“moderate”—Iran was able to advance its nuclear capability while remaining free of more sanctions. Rouhani was aware of the success of his nuclear negotiations, and proud of it. In 2006, he bragged that “by creating a calm environment, we were able to complete the work on Isfahan [a nuclear enrichment facility].”

And so, the president, chosen from a list of Ayatollah-approved candidates, now oversees Iran at the culmination of years of striving toward the nuclear bomb.

That alone should convince more people that Iran is a greater enemy than, say, Syria, Pakistan or Saudi Arabia, which was the opinion of some participants in the poll.

Another factor that plays into the decline of Iran’s standing as Enemy No. 1 is the rise of other threats such as North Korea. However, the change in Iran’s image is, in itself, a great danger. After all, North Korea has had nuclear weapons since mid-2005, yet Iran has still been considered a far more imminent danger every year since that time—until now! Suddenly Iran has a new president—with a thriving nuclear program at his disposal—and everyone believes that Iran is far less of a threat.

It is a sign that Iran has successfully pulled the wool over the American public’s eyes.

If Rouhani’s pre-presidency life wasn’t enough to keep Americans wary, perhaps more recent events can make people aware of the danger Iran poses.

In the supposedly “historic” nuclear deal on November 24, Iran wasn’t forced to dismantle any of its nuclear program or stop work on its ballistic missiles. It only had to stop production for a while. All talk of a rollback was misleading. Nothing was “rolled back” except the sanctions preventing Iran from dedicating more attention to its nuclear program! Now Iran’s economy is rebounding, and it is in perfect position to make a final push for nuclear weapons.

Polls such as that conducted by Gallup show the dangerous ignorance of American society, particularly among the youth. Of those between 18 and 34 years old, only 9 percent consider Iran America’s greatest enemy. People are losing sight of the danger Iran poses to the stability in the Middle East and abroad!

While many credible threats to the U.S. exist, when Iran is closer than ever to having nuclear weapons, the number of people who believe Iran is the greatest threat should at least remain constant at this pivotal moment in modern history.

Now is not the time to be lulled into a casual attitude toward Iran. The Bible tells you that it is only going to grow in power in the near future, and will become even more aggressive. Read it in Daniel 11:40; Iran is here referred to as the king of the south. Notice how this Middle East power will provoke the nations around it! This pushing will lead to world war!

If people understood the events Bible prophecy explains are coming upon us, they would sit up and take more notice of Iran. Read The King of the South for a comprehensive understanding of the violent future of the Middle East. This booklet is free upon request, and will change your understanding of the region and its many complex and volatile issues.