seems like the tactic most used by the administration is escallation, escallation of violence, degradation, debt and fear. I think keeping enemies growing is part of the plan especially to keep the motherland so fearful they won't organize a democratic backlash against the corporate government.
that said, the latest de-escallation of reasons to attack iran has been the delay of the Iranian Oil Bourse(they missed the march plan to open the new market), if or when they start trading oil in some currency other than the dollar our corporate government will strike. same reason we invaded Iraq when we did, but of course it wasn't really in the news.
http://www.energybulletin.net/12125.html
II. Iranian Oil Bourse
The Iranian government has finally developed the ultimate “nuclear” weapon that can swiftly destroy the financial system underpinning the American Empire. That weapon is the Iranian Oil Bourse slated to open in March 2006. It will be based on a euro-oil-trading mechanism that naturally implies payment for oil in Euro. In economic terms, this represents a much greater threat to the hegemony of the dollar than Saddam’s, because it will allow anyone willing either to buy or to sell oil for Euro to transact on the exchange, thus circumventing the U.S. dollar altogether. If so, then it is likely that almost everyone will eagerly adopt this euro oil system:
see also
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CLA410A.html