@TuringEquivalent,
Iran is in direct violation of international law. They are enriching uranium, and is NOT for cancer isotopes. I doubt very much that Iran has the bomb, yet. But when or if they do, like N. Korea, what steps would you have the UN and all other interested parties on earth do?
Sanctions could force this weak government out. If the people rebel then there is a chance for meaningful dialogue. Here you have a rogue government, that is failing its people on every front. The Rial has fallen, prices for food and other necessities have risen, and like other countries in the region, when you can't feed your family, you rise up.
Sanctions hurt the poor, the average person, they don't do much, except sometimes make bad dictators rich. Eventually, though, as witnessed of late, the people won't take it and will rebel.
Right now, the Iranian government is trying to look tough to its own people, they are playing a game. If the people buy into it, and believe in the propaganda, the Iranian government, might just get through this bad patch. However, they've got a lousy economic track record and it's only getting worse.
So, like every weak government, and some others, we are all versed in... When they have catastrophic problems, they fall back on finding a scapegoat to blame all their problems on. Iran hasn't been this screwed up since the Iran-Iraq war. And their president et al.. are hoping that if they feed the people enough bravado and bullshit, they can build the bomb and then, we are all fucked.
I get that you hate the USA, but this is not about the USA. This is another potential war, or cluster-**** in the middle east. The straight of Hormuz is nowhere near the USA, so the US can afford to make demands, unlike say, their neighbours who fear getting vaporized.
Time, hopefully a short bit of time, will tell, whether or not the Iranian people will have had enough. Until then, the rest of the world can only put pressure on a weak but dangerous government.
And for the time being, that's better than war.