The Middle East has caught fire.  Uprisings have occurred, leaders have been ousted, Syria's Assad is grasping to remain in power, and Israel remains in a state of unease.  The region has become ideologically war-torn -- a phenomenon induced at least in part by xenophobic language among Shiite and Sunni elements.  War in the region is beyond imminent -- it has already begun.

Religious fundamentalists constantly use hatred to mobilize people.  Violent rhetoric promotes social conditioning among mass movements.  Inspiring persons to act with hate and violence through induction of national and or religious pride has become standard procedure throughout the former caliphate region.  Sunni and Shiite actors have contributed equally to the fire.

Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt have been taken over by Muslim Brotherhood elements.  In the mix of these nation-states' uprisings were numerous al-Qaeda-affiliated proxies.  Iran's only true ally in the region, Syria, is forecasted to collapse by similar Sunni mechanisms.

There is no doubt that Iran has become a state a fear.  Dr. Joan Davison, a professor of political science at Rollins College, states that "the politics of hate develops by stealth and then spirals as popular fears lead to conflict."  The Islamic Republic of Iran developed hatred against its Sunni neighbors and the West long ago.  With approximately half a century of global militant proxies resulting in some tactical successes, today, Iran has moved onward to full-scale war.

Iran's war has not been initiated through conventional means.  Fighter aircraft have not been dispatched, warships have not launched missile strikes against critical infrastructure, and a mass army has yet to maneuver into foreign lands.  Iran's war initiative has begun through asymmetric mechanics.

Like the Russians, who clandestinely infiltrated the United States during and after the Cold War and disseminated propaganda, Iran has begun its disinformation and psychological operations.  Iranian clandestine services have sparked enough propaganda throughout the Middle East to cause uprisings in places like Bahrain, Yemen, Kuwait, and even Saudi Arabia.  Their disinformation campaign should be observed as a success.

If uprisings were not enough, Iran has also launched a global initiative of assassinations against Saudi elites.  In May, a Saudi diplomat was assassinated in Pakistan.  His killers were members of a Shiite terrorist group closely aligned to Iran.  Last month, terror cells of Iranian proxies were captured in Bahrain; their members confessed to targeting Saudi diplomats and key infrastructure.  And inside the United States, Iranian-supported terrorists have initiated plans to continue the hunt of Saudi nationals.

U.S. politicians such as Ed Royce, Sue Myrick, and Jim DeMint have all spoken out against the obvious and blatant infiltration of Iranian-backed terrorists entering the United States via the southern border.  These three politicians are not alone.  In fact, all elected officials should by now be aware of Iranian operations against U.S. national interests -- all they need to do is read the CRS report prepared for Congress titled "Iran-Iraq Relations." 

Our politicians know exactly what Iran has initiated -- war.  Yet for unknown reasons, United States politicians have failed in their obligations to protect citizens against the Iranian regime.  Tensions throughout the Middle East are rising.  War is underway.  America is in grave danger.

The Iranian people have been placed in a fear-based panic.  They have continuously spewed violent rhetoric against Israel and the West.  Iran-supported proxies have caused global chaos.  America has been infiltrated.  And recently, Iranian leaders alerted military forces to prepare for war -- a war which they long ago initiated.  Iran continues its militant progression, and all the while, the United States sleeps.

Kerry Patton, a combat service disabled veteran, is a senior analyst for WIKISTRAT.  He has worked in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, focusing on intelligence and security and interviewing current and former terrorists, including members of the Taliban.  He is the author of Sociocultural Intelligence: The New Discipline of Intelligence Studies and the children's book American Patriotism.  You can follow him on Facebook.