If you are watching the Middle East, chances are that startling, graphic headlines about the Islamic State have grabbed your attention. The Islamic State’s barbarism is mirrored closely by the brutality of the civil war raging in Syria. The horrific headlines keep viewers mindful of the atrocities taking place in these regions and the urgent demand for a solution. But focusing solely on the loudest stories in the Middle East would be the equivalent of a mouse being worried about a rattlesnake’s tail.

A far greater threat coiled up in the Middle East must be recognized: Iran—the head of the terrorist snake. The media decries the Islamic State collecting up to $3 million per day on black market oil, ensuring its status as the world’s richest terrorist organization. Yet Iran—the world’s largest state-sponsor of terror—goes unnoticed with a 2013 gross domestic product of $368.9 billion.

People worry about the Islamic State seizing United States military hardware abandoned after the Iraq War. Meanwhile, Iran is on the cusp of building nuclear weapons. The Islamic State controls northern Iraq—while Iran controls the fourth-largest crude oil reserves in the world and the second-largest natural gas reserves. It also borders one of the world’s most crucial sea gates, the Strait of Hormuz.

To ignore these facts is to decide that the snake’s tail is more fearsome than its head. It can be easy to focus on the loudest stories in the region and fail to recognize the greater dangers. If you haven’t been keeping a wary eye on the deadly end of the snake, here is a snapshot of where that head is today.

Negotiating With Terrorists

For almost a year, Iran has been involved in negotiations over its controversial nuclear program. Furious attempts have been made to cement a deal whereby Iran gives up its capabilities to create a nuclear weapon in exchange for sanctions relief. Short-term deals have been reached where Iran has promised certain measures to “roll back” its nuclear program.

Of course, the process has been drawn out by Iran, which gives it a distinct advantage. Firstly, it gives the nation a chance to rebuild an economy crippled by sanctions. The longer that negotiations continue, the stronger Iran’s economy becomes and the more impervious the nation is to the threat of future sanctions. Short-term deals only bolster Iran’s economy, reversing years of effects of past sanctions.

Stalling also means Iran has more time to transform its image. Since Hassan Rouhani came to power last year, Tehran has been working to establish a fresh image as a “moderate” nation. Calls to Western leaders and the occasional tweet have been enough to distract people from the hate-filled speeches that still rain down from Iran’s ayatollahs.

Taking Iraq

For decades, Iran has maintained a policy of interference and manipulation within Iraq. The neighbor is crucial to Iran’s plans for control over the broader Middle East. Iraq is the link to Syria, Lebanon and beyond. Iran has worked to maintain a presence within Iraq over the years, primarily though the Shiite government. And now, with the Islamic State threatening the Shiite population, Iran has the opportunity to capitalize.

At first there were reports of troops along the Iran-Iraq border, then there was talk of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force training the Iraqi military. The news was somewhat hazy and tentative. Now all of a sudden, there has been a dramatic change.

Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani recently surfaced within Iraq, heading operations against Islamic State and training Iraqi security forces. This man is a military strategist and close confidant of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has called him “the living martyr.” He heads the training of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syrian President Bashar Assad’s troops.

Sulemani already had a quick string of victories in towns along the Shiite pilgrim trail, earning Iran more popular support within Iraqi Shiite society. His move into Iraq represents Iran’s effort to capitalize on the situation there and to bolster its standing in the eyes of the Iraqi majority.

Seeing Quds in Iraq should ring alarm bells. Iran’s regional policies historically have been anything but moderate. The Quds Force aggressively pushes Iranian regional ambitions from Lebanon to Afghanistan. The appearance of its top commander in Iraq reveals Iran’s plans to dominate its neighbor.

Supporting Syria and Hamas

The Quds Force has certainly been busy. The terrorist group’s handiwork also can be seen in Syria, where Quds commanders lead Syrian forces as the Iranian government sends supplies and weapons to feed Assad’s army on its hunt for rebel forces. Hezbollah, another Iran-sponsored and -trained terrorist organization, supports Assad’s western flank.

Recent events to the south, in the Gaza Strip, show what happens when groups like Hamas gain the support of a state sponsor of terror. You can be sure that all the missiles that have been fired into Israel from this 4-mile-wide strip of land weren’t designed and built there.

If more compelling evidence is needed besides the barrage of Iranian missiles, look at Operation Full Disclosure. This Israeli mission seized a shipment of missiles from Iran destined for Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The operation was meticulously recorded from start to finish so that the owner, recipients and intended purposes of the weapons could not be disputed. This was just one more example among many of Iran financing terrorism throughout the region.

The Top Terrorizer

Aside from the striking examples in Iraq, Syria and Gaza, Iran is tied to terrorism across the globe. According to the State Department’s annual “Country Report on Terrorism” in 2013, “Iran remained the predominant concern of the United States.” Iran has been embroiled in terrorist attacks from its own doorstep to Argentina and everywhere in between. It has held the title of number one state sponsor of terror for many years and shows no sign of stepping down.

Controlling the Strait of Hormuz

Geography plays another key factor in why we should keep an eye on Iran. Situated on Iran’s southern border lies the Strait of Hormuz. This sea lane transports 40 percent of global seaborne oil trade. The narrow channel leaves it vulnerable to being seeded with Iranian mines or being blocked by sunken freighters. Iran has repeatedly threatened to block the strait if it is attacked. Today, the sea lane bristles with Iranian weaponry, which acts as a deterrent for anyone thinking of taking military action against it. Iran warns that it will respond to any such military action by immediately closing the Strait.

Rouhani: The ‘Moderate’ Puppet

The one responsible for keeping all the aforementioned details obscured is the president, Hassan Rouhani. This president has done wonders for Iran’s “moderate” image. With a smile and an occasional tweet, Rouhani has donned the sheep’s clothing and gone about establishing Iran’s new friendly image. However, the disguise is a thin veil.

In the December 2013 Trumpet, editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote:

Anyone who believes Rouhani is moderate has to ignore mountains of evidence to the contrary. Rouhani headed Iran’s Security Council from 1989 to 2003. During that time Iran’s henchmen murdered opposition leaders in a Berlin restaurant. They murdered 85 people at a Jewish community center in Argentina. They killed 19 American soldiers by blowing up the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. How many Americans know about Iran’s nuclear facility at Isfahan? That was one of the nuclear plants being built while Hassan Rouhani was making promises to halt Iran’s nuclear program in 2006. Today, he brags about how he deceived the West.

Another point showing that this man is anything but a moderate is that he was voted into power from among six candidates all hand-picked by Ayatollah Khamenei. He really was the people’s choice—among Khamenei’s choices.

Then there are the executions. What moderate leader would increase public executions while claiming to increase moderation? Only one intent on silencing critics and intimidating political rivals.

A quick glance at Rouhani’s cabinet further reveals his lack of moderation. His defense minister, Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan, is responsible for masterminding the Beirut bombing that claimed the lives of 241 American servicemen.

Not only do those around Rouhani show his real colors, but also those above him. While holding the title of president, Rouhani still comes under the rule of the Ayatollah. Aided by his Guardian Council, the supreme leader determines who will run for political offices. And Khamenei is not shy about his goals for Iran. First, it will wipe out Israel; then the West: a straightforward anything-but-moderate approach.

The Race to Nuclear Arms

Despite numerous promises and short-term deals, Iran stubbornly refuses to downscale its nuclear program. The six-week window Iran needs to build a nuclear weapon has Iran’s neighbors worried—none more so than Israel.

Iran still has its estimated 19,000 centrifuges. It still has its plutonium facility in Arak. Its nuclear sites buried deep within the mountains are still capable of churning out weapons-grade uranium should Iran choose. And United Nations inspectors can do little to stop it. According to Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, “There has been almost no progress in resolving the outstanding allegations of weapons development, despite a tear of negotiations with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s government.” He said this month after Rouhani promised more transparency.

Iran’s actions prove time and time again that it will not give up its desire for nuclear weapons, nor will it kowtow to the West. This brings us to the final reason Iran must be watched intently.

Iran in Prophecy

Daniel 11 speaks of a pushy and aggressive power in our day known as the king of the south. The Trumpet identifies the king of the south as radical Islam led by Iran. Gerald Flurry first made this connection in 1994, just six years after Iran emerged from its devastating eight-year war with Iraq—a time when few paid any attention to this rogue Islamist nation. Iran’s geographic position, its status as the king of terrorism in the world, and the biblical knowledge of which nations cannot be the king of the south all lead to one conclusion. (For more detail on these points, read our article “Three Reasons Why Iran Is the King of the South of Bible Prophecy.”) When you carefully analyze world events against the prophecies of the Bible, it becomes undeniably clear that the king of the south is Iran.

For a detailed look at this prophecy, request our free booklet The King of the South. You will come to see the Middle East with a much clearer perspective. Don’t be caught off guard watching the wrong end of the snake. Watch Iran, its head.